The Mobian Experience
by EpicTalesOfBoredom
Summary: Nicole has perfected her holographic body and has learned a lot of the Mobian experience, yet one social mystery eludes her. With few options available to her, she approaches the one Mobian that understands what it's like to be a misfit, Knuckles. When she makes him an offer he can't refuse, things get awkward. Rated M for lemonyness. The humor is implied in the awkwardness.
1. Chapter 1: An Offer He Can't Refuse

**Chapter 1: An Offer He Can't Refuse:**

A knock came from Nicole's door. The lynx looked up from the textbook she'd been studying. She cleared her throat and then called, "Enter."

The door opened slowly and a red echidna entered. Nicole's eyes roved up and down his body appreciatively. He was tall, well-built, and, in a rugged way, handsome. Perfect for the intentions she had for him. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.

Nicole blinked as she was pulled out of her fantasy. "Er, yes, Knuckles. Please sit." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk. The echidna hesitated, and then took the lynx's offer. He was obviously uncomfortable in her presence, but hopefully she could help him relieve some of that stress. She would have to tactfully reduce his anxiety before attempting to introduce her preposition to the nervous male. "You are free to relax, Knuckles," she giggled in effort to put him at ease, "We are friends after all, am I right?"

"Um, I guess so," he agreed. He forced himself to sit back and let his muscles loosen, but kept his guard up nonetheless. "Can I ask why I'm here?"

"Yes, you _may_," she corrected gently. "My interactions with you have informed me that you are a very direct man and I can certainly appreciate that." She sat the book she had been reading side and Knuckles noted the title: "The Encyclopedia of Sex". He raised an eye ridge, but remained silent. "As you already know, I have studied hard in an attempt to understand the Mobian experience ever since I acquired personality and this temporary body."

Knuckles nodded. One of the first things she'd discovered was the simple pleasure of eating, and shortly thereafter the pains of overeating. It was refreshing to have someone even more naïve than himself to talk to. Sonic, Sally, and Knuckles himself have all tried to help the poor girl adapt to living a normal life. Well… as normal of one as a Freedom Fighter could lead.

"I have learned much," she continued, "yet there are some mysteries that elude me, and no amount of research can satisfy my curiosity."

Knuckles felt apprehension creep up on him s he began to suspect what Nicole was getting at. "Would I be right in assuming this why you asked me here?"

"You would be correct." Nicole leaned forward, intentionally giving him an ample view of her bosom. However, the echidna's gentlemanly nature kicked in and he averted his eyes respectfully. The holo-lynx was disappointed, yet pressed on. "I have recently taken an interest in reproductive cycles of many living creatures, Mobians' peculiar mating habits in particular," she explained.

Knuckles swallowed nervously as his suspicions were all but confirmed. "And how do you think I can help you?"

Nicole stood up and rounded the desk to rest on its edge next to the Guardian's right. Despite himself, Knuckles couldn't help but watch her as she sashayed over to him. The way her purple toga hugged her curves and flowed over her slender legs awakened something in him he didn't want her to see. He flushed a deep crimson as he struggled to repress his more primal urges. Nicole noted his reaction with a hint of satisfaction.

"I have read that the primary objective of coitus is to produce offspring, yet Mobians alone behave rather promiscuously when it comes to mating. It is only logical that both males and females would seek out the best possible mate before engaging in intercourse."

Knuckles was getting increasingly uncomfortable, yet still held his tongue.

"They call this practice 'making love'. I long to understand this paradox and with my recent upgrade I believe this is possible. So I come to my point. Will you make love to me?"

Although he had expected this coming, he was still rendered speechless. He was sure he was glowing red as he fought to regain control of his tongue. "Uh, what?!"

Nicole nodded knowingly. "I anticipated some initial shock and possible resistance. Perhaps if I clarified, I am asking you to-"

"Yeah I know what you're talking about," Knuckles interrupted. "But why me?"

"By my reckoning, you are an ideal mate. Sonic is spoken for, Tails is too young, and I regard Rotor as my father."

Knuckles frowned as anxiety gave way to anger. "Are you saying I'm not your first choice?" he growled.

Nicole quickly shook her head. "No," she soothed, "In fact frankly, you are indeed my first choice. You and I are alike in many ways, key among them being we are both outsiders when it comes to social graces. As a result, I have come to hope you might help enlighten me in this enigma. Will you share this experience with me?" She reached out and stroked his white crescent on his muscular chest with her black, gloveless fingertip.

He felt himself melt under her touch. It was incredibly realistic and although it had been only a month since she had gained the ability to interact with real objects, she was getting good with her hands. He detected a guttural noise coming from his throat. Oh God, was he purring? He snapped out of the haze that was beginning to form. He stood up sharply, knocking over the chair, and backed away from the sultry hologram.

"What is the matter? Am I not attractive enough to you?" Nicole looked hurt.

"N-no. It's not that," he stuttered.

"Then what is it?"

"Y-you d-don't want me that w-way."

"Why not?"

Knuckles hesitated before he answered reluctantly, "I'm not exactly experienced in such things."

"That is another reason why I selected you. We are both virgins, which should make this experiment even more special."

"Experiment?" Knuckles suddenly sounded less nervous and more suspicious. Good, progress was being made at least.

"That is the general idea, but honestly it is much more than that. I really want you and no one else to be the one to accompany me on this once in a lifetime experience."

Knuckles's last defenses crumbled away. "Very well then, I'd be honored to assist you. On one condition," he added, "We do this right and at least go through the motions even if we already know the outcome. I was raised to do the right thing."

"Agreed," Nicole conceded. "The courtship rituals are an integral aspect of a successful mating."

"Yes, well, er… I suppose I should ask you out."

"That is social protocol, yes."

Knuckles coughed nervously and closed the distance between them. "Um… Nicole?"

"Yes?"

"Would you join me for a… um, picnic?"

"Of course! What time?"

"Um, er… Tomorrow at noon?"

"It's a date then," she confirmed. A smile played on her brown face and she leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. Electricity, whether real or imagined, ran down his spine. When Nicole broke away and returned to her desk, the dazed echidna escorted himself out on unsteady legs. What the hell just happened? The answer struck him in an instant. She had given him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Author's Note: To the best of my knowledge this is the first Knux/Nicole pairing fanfic. And I think I'm off to a good start. For continuity, this can be considered an original universe where either Julie doesn't exist or he simply hasn't met her yet. Anyways, R&amp;R. Oh, BTW, Nicole purposely speaks somewhat robotically and can't use contractions at all.

Author's Note II: I am reposting my original fanfic on my new account. My password to my old account was lost and I didn't set up a back-up, so the moral of the story is: don't put all your eggs in one basket. Anyways, I'll be updating about once every week or two. Happy reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Sleepless In Knothole

**Chapter 2: Sleepless in Knothole:**

That night, Knuckles couldn't sleep. Regardless of what position he lay in, he couldn't seem to get comfortable. Sighing in defeat, Knuckles tossed the sheets aside and sat up. The day's earlier events rushed through his mind, and no matter how much he replayed it in his head, he still couldn't figure out why he had agreed to Nicole's unexpected proposal. It seemed he had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and lost his ability to think beyond five seconds ahead.

'Why did I ever agree to that?' he thought, 'Now she wants to do... it. With me. I can't do that, what would the others think? If Sonic ever found out, he'd never let me hear the end of it. And Sally, she'll think I'm some kind of perv.' Shaking the troubling thoughts out of his head, Knuckles stood and crossed the room to the open window.

A cool, refreshing breeze blew in from the widened aperture that softly caressed his skin and fur and played with his loose dreadlocks. Taking in the view, Knuckles watched the wind play with the tops of the trees and the full moon shine its pale light across the forest, turning everything a dim hue of its daylight color and giving the grass and leaves a silvery sheen.

Relaxing, Knuckles didn't hear the door open and close quietly behind him. He inhaled deeply and attempted a half-hearted smile. Well, maybe it would figure itself out. Maybe Nicole will (hopefully) find something less embarassing to become fascinated with, like... bunnies or unicorns. He had just let his guard down when he felt a pair of hands slide around his neck and down towards his chest.

"What the?" yelped Knuckles as he whirled around on his perceived attacker. Instinctively, raising his fists in preparation for a fight, he was surprised to see Nicole standing only inches away from him. "Wha- Nicole?! Jeez, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I am sorry if I startled you," she apologized, "but, I noticed that you seemed unable to sleep."

"You were watching me?"

"I tapped into the security system and was doing my routine checks when I noticed that you appeared to be restless, so I thought maybe..." Here, the lynx took a few steps forward and placed a finger on the echidna's chest, lightly tracing his white crescent, "I could do something to help you rest easier."

Knuckles swallowed and attempted to back away, but found himself back against the wall. "I'm fine, there's really no need..." he told her with in a hushed tone. Nicole took another small step forward and pressed her chest against his.

"I exist to serve, so let me serve you," she replied in most seductive tone. Stealthily, she slid her hands down his waist and stroked his outer thighs. Knuckles however, began to grow even more uncomfortable.

"Nicole, really it's fine," he repeated.

Nicole looked up into his amethyst colored eyes and did her best imitation of a pouty face, not unlike Sally's. "Why will you not let me help you? I really want too," she whined cutely.

Knuckles found himself gazing into her vibrant green eyes, reflecting the soft, silvery light of the Mobian moon and noticed how beautiful she looked. She looked so sweet and innocent, standing there with her chest pressing against his and the wind gently tugging at her short black hair. Leaning in, he closed his eyes and began to pucker his lips.

Elated that her pouty face had worked, Nicole eagerly closed her eyes as well and prepared to met his lips with hers. But then, in a moment of clarity, Knuckles realized what he was doing and hesitated, pulling back away and snapping his eyes open. Nicole, however, held her pose and waited for his kiss. After a few heartbeats, Nicole began to get impatient. "I am ready, Knuckles, just waiting on you," she said, not opening her eyes.

Deciding he needed to get out of there fast, Knuckles pushed her aside and made a run for the door. Well, more like a rushed walk or slow sprint. Being nudged aside, Nicole opened her eyes and saw Knuckles depart in a hurry. "Cookies," she swore. What went wrong? Everything was going well until now. What made him flee like that? Whatever it was, Nicole knew better than to chase him. She'd seen how that works out for Amy. Settling on the edge of Knuckles's bed, Nicole sighed. Whatever spooked him, he had better remember their date tomorrow.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yeah, here's the second chapter of "The Mobian Experience", at long last. So, some explanation is in order yes? Well like I posted in the reviews for my fanfics under my original account, this past year has been pretty hetic for me. Juggling a job, school, and personal lives is not an easy task and I had precious little time to devote to fanfiction or just about anything else. So, that's why this took so long and I'm sure some of you have moved on, believing this story and myself as a lost cause, but for those of you who stuck around and anxiously waited for updates will be duly rewarded for such loyalty. So starting this month, I will be trying to update at **least** once every two weeks, or sooner if I can I make it. The next question I'm sure some of you are asking is why the new identity and account? Well, my original computer was rather old (about seven years) and was a flimsy little laptop. So during a fight with a then girlfriend, she smashed it against the wall and it broke. That wouldn't be such a big deal if it didn't hold all the passwords and back-up information for my accounts and emails. So that was fun. Anyways, the important thing is I'm back and with a vegeance. Look for more updates and that proposed "Promises" remake/prequel.


	3. Chapter 3: The First Date

**Chapter 3: The First Date:**

The next morning came too soon for the echidna. After his encounter with Nicole the night before and that close call, he began to think and the more he thought the less he liked the idea. It just seemed... wrong. Sure, Nicole was pretty and all, but... she **was** an AI. Pretty much just a glorified calculator. And that made him wonder. Could Nicole really have any feelings for another being? Or was it just clever programming on Rotor's part? In either case, it seemed immoral and unorthodox. Knuckles was a man of strict morals and principals that had guided him through his life. True, his opinions and beliefs had caused him a bit of grief in the past, but without those values, what would he be? This was just all to morally grey for him to exactly embrace the idea. This would be essentially cyber-sex. Cyber-sex 2.0.

Regardless he had a promise to keep and he was diligent in fulfilling promises made. Perhaps he could let her down gently during the date. Waking early after only a few hours of sleep, Knuckles made his down to the kitchen. He quietly crept past the doors in the Bunks area of the headquarters and passed the Common Room, which was vacant thankfully, and entered the kitchen. To his surprise and dismay, Amy was already there, setting up the kitchen for breakfast which presumably would be soon. Knuckles considered slinking back out before Amy noticed him and forgetting the whole thing as her back was currently to him. Before he could decide, Amy turned and gave a little surprised squeak upon finding the other standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Knuckles! You nearly gave me a heart attack," she gently chided him, clutching a hand to her chest.

"Er, sorry, Amy, I didn't mean to startle you," he told her.

"It's okay," she laughed. "You just surprised me is all." A brief pause settled before Amy spoke again. "What are you doing up this early? Breakfast isn't for another hour yet." Knuckles began to speak, but Amy interrupted him. "Oh, did you come to help me get ready for the day?"

"Um, no," he replied, running a hand through his quills. "I actually was thinking of grabbing some things and, uh, you know, eat outside today."

"A picnic?"

"Uh, yeah, something like that."

"That's a great idea, maybe we could all go-" Amy began, but Knuckles quickly cut her off.

"Actually I was thinking it would just be me. You know, get some fresh air and away from the base for a while."

"Oh, ok," said Amy, somewhat disappointed. "Do you need any help?"

"Nah, I got it, besides you still have to feed everyone else. I'll just try not to get in your way."

"Alright, and try not to make a mess; if you do, you'll have to clean it up."

Knuckles nodded his agreement. Navigating his way around Amy, he rummaged through the pantry and set aside some choice ingredients. Jam, honey, bread, a couple cans of grape soda. Amy turned on the stove and began to mix batter for pancakes while she watched Knuckles. Finding a wicker basket with a red-checkered trim, he prepared a few sandwiches with peanut butter and jelly or honey. He proceeded to trim the crusts off and cut them into triangles. He personally didn't mind crusts, but wasn't sure what Nicole's preferences would be. Placing them into the basket, wrapped in plastic wrap, Knuckles moved on to appetizers.

A small bag of chips, crackers with cheese, and, _score_, some Jell-O. Adding these to the now half-full basket, Knuckles picked some fruit from the fruit bowl and began to chop them into bite-sized square pieces, while Amy gazed on with amusement. "Looks like you're feeding a small army," she observed. "You're gonna eat that all?"

Knuckles glanced at her, unaware she had been watching him. "Er, well, I'm am a bit peckish today," he lied. In truth, he felt sick to his stomach and couldn't imagine even taking one bite of any of this, but wasn't about to tell Amy that.

"I'll say," she chuckled lightly. "Good thing our store never seems to run out, between you and Sonic we'd be eaten out of house and home."

It was true, Sonic's high velocity powers made him consume a crazy amount of calories. If wasn't as active as he was, no doubt he'd be a lot rounder than he is now. And Knuckles could really pack the calories away. His strength was considered Sonic's only equal and most resulted in why they could never seem to get past a stalemate in their occasional fights.

"You might want to add strawberries in there," suggested Amy, "Cream and I picked a few yesterday and their really ripe, so I bet they're pretty juicy and sweet."

Knuckles gave a small nod and slight smile. "Thanks, Amy, I'll do that." In the walk-in refrigerator, he found the jar of strawberries that Amy and Cream had picked and grabbed a handful then cut them into wedges and added them to the bowl. Sealing the container with more plastic wrap, he placed the fruit salad in the corner of the basket, making sure not to accidentally crush the chips or smash the sandwiches. Satisfied and not wanting the others to wake yet, Knuckles began to clean up his area.

Putting the jars and containers back in their proper place, he began to put the honey away and then hesitated. Thinking it over, he shrugged and put the jar in the basket. Lifting the basket and walking past Amy, he started to leave the kitchen. "Thanks, Amy," he acknowledged courteously.

"No problem, but since you're eating out, I won't make any extras, so there might not be any left when you get back," she warned.

Knuckles gave a small laugh, "Alright, thanks again."

Knuckles once again crept through the base towards the tech lab, albeit a little more quickly since it was getting closer to the time for the others to wake up. Knuckles stole through the sliding doors into the lab and located Nicole's portable tricorder-like device and slipped back out of the lab. Inconspicuously passing through the corridors and exiting the headquarter's main doors, Knuckles quickly began to put distance between himself and the base while the sun slowly rose, turning the sky from a vibrant orange to a pale blue.  
* * *

Sonic was the first to rise after the wafting scent of pancakes and blueberries reached his sensitive olfactory senses. Sitting up, he yawned and slipped his red and white sneakers onto his feet. After pausing to check his reflection in the mirror, making sure his quills were straight and et cetera, Sonic sped by the other doors and came to sudden halt at the table in the dining room. Plates were already set out as was silverware and napkins. Crassly tying the napkin around his neck, Sonic gripped the fork and knife eagerly, lightly tapping them impatiently on the table.

Amy appeared in the doorway as she set the platter of pancakes and pitcher of syrup in the center of the long dinner table. "What's cooking, good-looking?" greeted Sonic, glancing hungrily at the platter as she set it down.

"Oh, Sonic," she sighed playfully, blushing lightly at the sweet nothing. "It's blueberry pancakes, if you must know. And they're already done."

"Looks delish!" praised Sonic as he reached for the top pancake with his fork.

Amy slapped his hand sharply, but not too hard, causing him to drop the utensil. "Wait for the others," she chided him.

Sonic slumped and pouted.

"You can help me bring out the milk and eggs," she told him.

Lifting himself with an exaggerated sigh, Sonic pulled the napkin from his neck and tossed it on the plate and plodded heavily behind Amy. Slowly the others began to rise and took their places at the table. Tails, Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor, and the others began to fill in the table. Antoine and Bunnie sat at one end, holding hands and talking quietly with one another. Rotor and Tails sat across from each other conversing quietly about technical jargon. Cream and her mother, Vanilla, also appeared and sat next to Tails, with Cream between Tails and the other rabbit. Vanilla in return sat opposite of Bunnie and Antoine across from Cream, with Rotor to his left.

Sonic and Amy appeared with two full pitchers of fresh milk, with creamy froth floating on the top and Sonic struggling to balance two large platters with scrambled eggs. Placing a plate of eggs and pitcher of milk at each end, Amy and Sonic took their places. Sonic once again sat next to Tails and Sally's empty seat on his right. Amy was across from Sally's currently vacant seat and adjacent to Knuckles' empty chair between Rotor and herself. Sally was the last to appear and looked a little confused.

"Morning, Aunt Sally," greeted Tails as the others repeated this salutation with minor variances.

"Er, good morning, guys," replied Sally, scratching her head briefly. "Has anyone seen Nicole's scanner anywhere?"

A plethora of perplexed glances and shaking heads accompanied a garbled "no" or "not today"s. "Huh, weird," said Sally as she seated herself next to Sonic, "I could've sworn I left it in the tech lab yesterday, but I can't find it."

Sonic shrugged. "Oh, well. We'll find it later, anyways, it's breakfast!"

With that, the assembled Freedom Fighters dug in. Helping themselves to eggs, pancakes, and glasses of milk, passing salt, pepper, or syrup, and exchanging pleasantries. "I guess you're right," acknowledged Sally, taking two pancakes and a ladle of eggs for herself. "It's just odd."

The conversation died down as the group ate and drank their fast away. A few moments later though, Sally noticed Knuckles's chair was empty. "Where's Knuckles? He's going to upset if there's nothing left for him," she said.

"Oh, don't worry about him," replied Amy as she scooped a second helping of eggs onto her plate. "He came in the kitchen earlier and took some food for a picnic. Said he wanted to get some fresh air or something."

Sally's brow furrowed slightly. "Really? Hm." She shrugged, sometimes Knuckles felt overwhelmed by so many people and ocassional ate by himself in his room, the commons, or elsewhere.

"He seemed kinda nervous though," mentioned Amy, a moment later after thinking about his behavior earlier. "And he packed enough food for two people."

That was odd, thought Sally. Why would he need a picnic for two? "What's that echidna up to?" she wondered aloud.

"Probably jacking off," mumbled Sonic, through a mouthful of food.

"Sonic! Watch your language!" Sally immediately reprimanded.

"What?" asked Sonic, spreading his arms wide and accidentally spewing some food particles from his open mouth.

"Say it, don't spray it," mumbled Rotor, wiping his sleeve free of debris.

Sally shook her head in annoyance and speared another piece of pancake, although she didn't eat it and simply twirled the breakfast item absentmindedly.

Breakfast was a short affair and many excused themselves to go do their other daily routines, namely Tails, Rotor, and Cream and her mother. Antoine and Bunnie volunteered to do the dishes and Amy thanked them. Sally was still mostly playing with her food rather than eating it until Sonic nudged her shoulder. Looking up, she glanced at the hedgehog. "Gonna eat that?" he asked, pointing to her mostly untouched pancakes and eggs.

"No," she told him, pushing the plate towards him. Sonic devoured the pancakes and promptly let out a loud belch. "Uh," said Sally with a disgusted tone, "pig."

"Better out than in, I always say," replied Sonic.

Sally excused herself from the table and pushed her chair in. Nicole's scanner had to be somewhere here. Knuckles wouldn't take it without asking, right? Sally began to form some suspicions, but pushed the nagging thoughts away. If he was doing what she thought he was doing... things would get really awkward for him.  
* * *

"Ok, here we go," said Knuckles, to no one in particular. After putting what he deemed an appropriate distance between himself and the base, Knuckles found a nice secluded spot near a bubbling stream where he figured it would be unlike that any one, particularly one of the Freedom Fighters, would find him, and spread out the quilted blanket he had thankfully thought to stuff in the basket before leaving and set Nicole's scanner nearby on a small, dry boulder. Setting the basket in the center, Knuckles turned to Nicole's digital prison and turned it on. Lighting the screen, the machine buzzed to life and powered up.

Waiting anxiously for Nicole to appear, Knuckles wrung his hands nervously and checked his breath, to make sure it didn't stink. All good.

Finally, the light at the top flicked on and glowed green as a neon green light appeared about a foot away from the scanner. The light shimmered and began to form into a more recognizable shape before Nicole's body began to appear. First from the toes and fingertips to her core and Knuckles watched with interest, noticing each detail as it was rendered recognizable. At length, Nicole's hologram, created with the aid of nanobites, appeared and she blinked, taking in her surroundings.

"I have to admit, I had my doubts that you would go through with this, but clearly I was wrong," stated Nicole once she ceased loading.

Knuckles gave a quick, shy smile. "When I give my word, I intend to keep it," he told her.

"And for that, I am grateful," she replied. "I am looking forward to this. A first date is an excellent way to establish bonding before coitus."

"Coitus?" he repeated, as the word was not in his vocabulary.

"Sex," she clarified.

"Oh, of course," he replied, feeling foolish and more than a little apprehensive about the way she said it like it was nothing.

"So, shall we?" asked Nicole.

"Shall we what?"

"Eat. I assume that is the purpose of the basket?"

"Oh, right!" Settling himself next to the basket, he gestured for her to sit on the other side. Nicole complied and crossed her legs very womanlike as ahe sat on her left hip. "So I got... Sandwiches, chips, Jell-O, and... fruit salad," he said as he produced each item out of the basket. Nicole nodded, indicating her appreciation of his handiwork. Knuckles reached back in the basket and felt the bottom, fishing around, he realized he forgot one important thing: silverware. Oops.

"Heh-heh, seems like I forgot to get some forks and a spoon," he said.

"No matter," replied Nicole, "We can use our fingers, right? With the exception of the gelatinous desert, nothing you packed is too viscous for us to eat without utensils."

"That's true, I guess," he admitted. Unwrapping a PB&amp;J sandwich for himself and passing one to Nicole, the two sat and chewed quietly as they observed the quiet clearing Knuckles had found for the picnic while a pregnant pause settled between them. Knuckles got the impression that the awkwardness between them was so thick right now that you could cut it with a knife. A really sharp one. On the other hand, the peaceful serenity of the natural sounds surrounding them did put Knuckles a little more at ease. This was closer to what he was used to rather than the hustle and bustle of the Freedom HQ.

At length, Nicole spoke. "Mmm, this is good," she said, trying to tactfully compliment him and help him break his shell.

Knuckles blushed a very light crimson and shrugged his right shoulder. "Ah, you're just being nice."

"No, I am serious. This is probably the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I have ever eaten."

"Well, thanks," he responded, unsure whether to take the compliment or brush it off.

"Grape?" she asked.

"What?"

"The flavor of the jelly."

"Oh, yeah."

"I understand grapes are your favorite fruit."

Knuckles nodded.

"You know, grapes are one of my favorite fruits as well."

"Really?"

"Yes, those and strawberries."

"I added strawberries to the fruit salad."

"Were you aware that I liked that fruit?"

"Well... no, I didn't."

"I also like bananas."

"Bananas?"

"Yes, they are filled with potassium and other nutrients. Of course, since I am a hologram, vitamins and minerals are not prudent in my diet. But I also like the flavor, color, and... shape of the fruit."

'The shape?' wondered Knuckles. 'What was so interesting about the... oh.'

Realizing this conversation was quickly going nowhere, Nicole decided to change the subject. "So tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up? What do you remember about your childhood? What is it like to be Guardian of the Master Emerald? Admittedly, I am afraid do not know much about you since we rarely interact. I have heard some from Sally and more from Sonic, but I would like to hear it from you," she suggested.

"Um, ok. Where to begin? Well, I was born and raised on Angel Island to the west. My father taught me from a young age to guard and protect the Master Emerald. He also taught me history, math, and science, but that paled in comparison to the lessons about the Brotherhood and the old tribes."

"What is the Brotherhood?" asked Nicole.

"We are an ancient order of Guardians sworn to the protection and care of the Master Emerald in an effort to prevent its powers from being used for evil or abused. We are also lore-keepers and allies of the Acorn Kingdom," explained Knuckles.

"And what was your father like?"

Knuckles shrugged. "He was a great man. A little strict sometimes, but he had to be. The fate of the Master Emerald and the world depends on the knowledge and discipline of its Guardian."

"Can you sense the Emerald at all times?"

"Yes, although faintly. Mainly, it acts as a back-up in case the Master Emerald is destroyed or stolen. Similarly, I can sense shards of the Master Emerald and Chaos Emeralds nearby, but I'm not sure if the other Guardians could do this."

"Who is currently guarding it?"

"Vector an' Espio. I trust them. They'll tell me if something happens and more than likely I feel it first."

"So what about your mother?"

Knuckles looked away. "I don't remember much about her. I was five when my dad took me the Angel Island. I don't even know if she's still alive."

"I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I've had time to come to terms over being possibly the last of my kind."

"It must be difficult."

"It is sometimes. I feel kinda obligated to do something to preserve our legacy, you know. In all likelihood, the echidna race will die with me."

Nicole felt a twinge of sympathy for the echidna. She realized he must a lot more lonely than he lets on. She was the first of her kind, but it wasn't quite the same. As an AI, she knows her place and limitations, but someday there may be way for Mobians and future AIs to bridge the gap between technology and mortality. For now though, companionship and perhaps romance could fill that niche.

"Anyways, that's enough about me, what about you?" asked Knuckles. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"There is not much to tell. I am an AI created by Rotor to aid the Freedom Fighters in their mission to remove the tyrant Dr. Robotnik and his Lieutenant, Snively, from the throne that rightfully belongs to the Royal Family and its heir, Sally. I run at a speed of-"

Knuckles cut her off gently. "That's not what I mean. What are **you** like?"

Nicole thought for a moment. Most people didn't ask her about herself beyond what her capabilities were or whether she could accurately program a microwave. This intrigued Nicole and reinforced her belief that she had found a suitable mate in Knuckles. He was clearly thoughtful and interested in her as person and not an object.

"I didn't break your programming or overloaded your system, did I?" asked Knuckles.

"No," stated Nicole, pulling herself out of deep thought. " I suppose I am fairly standard for an AI. I enjoy reading and scanning books and data, I also routinely perform various tasks without being asked for fun, and sometimes I even do a disk defragmentation to reorganize my files and clear up some space."

'That's not quite what I meant,' thought Knuckles, a large drop of sweat began to bead down his forehead in cartoonish fashion.

"On other days, I watch videos of kittens and create a temporary AI to debate the meaning of life, the existence of God, and difference between fate and free will."

'That's more like it," thought Knuckles. With this knowledge, Knuckles gradually began to see Nicole more as a person rather than a computer. As she conversed with him about her beliefs and philosophy, Knuckles was both intrigued and engaged at the same time. She made many good points about the very reality of reality itself and religion, physics, and dreams that by the end, Knuckles began to question himself and his own beliefs, which was not a bad thing.

"Wow," he said, with an expression that was perplexed and amazed at the same time. "I never thought of it that way. But what you're saying makes a lot of sense. Everything I see, hear, touch, or think could be part of some huge fantasy or a dream. Weird. I don't know if I'm scared, confused, or enlightened."

"That is only scratching the surface, but perhaps we should finish eating the picnic you so thoughtfully prepared before it expires."

Clearing his head, Knuckles nodded and found that only the fruit salad, Jell-O, and jar of honey remained. "Well, since I forgot to bring silverware, I guess we have to use or fingers for the salad. Not sure if I want to try to eat Jell-O with my hands and not make a mess."

"May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"I would like you to feed me and for me to feed you. I read that this practice helps establish intimacy and trust between couples."

"Uh, sure, we could give that a try." Much to his surprise, Knuckles had almost no reservations about doing this with Nicole. In the past hour alone, he had learned more about her than he had in nearly six months.

Removing his gloves and setting them aside, Knuckles plucked a grape from the bowl, dipped it in honey from the jar, and carefully placed it near Nicole's mouth. Daintily gripping the fruit with her teeth and drawing it in, Nicole chewed and swallowed the morsel, then picked a strawberry slice and proffered it to Knuckles. Knuckles mimicked Nicole's method and ate the sweetly tart fruit. And so, taking turns, they each offered and ate the fruit. With Nicole and Knuckles occasionally closing their eyes and waiting to feel the fruit touch their lips. Apple slices, strawberry wedges, chopped melon, and grapes, each dipped in sweet honey.

Every now and then, a drop of honey or two would drip onto the blanket or onto their chins or chests and ooze. However, they ignored this and continued to feed one another. It was pleasurable and oddly comforting for both to be fed like this. After a noticeable pool had begun to form on Knuckles broad chest and Nicole's neck, Nicole leaned forward and lapped at the honey smeared across his chest. Knuckles didn't try to stop her. He was too comfortable with her presence and enjoyed the sensation of her tongue gliding over his crest and muscular chest. Closing his eyes, he sighed contently and laid back slightly.

After the bowl was nearly empty, Knuckles offered Nicole another strawberry slice. Nicole took it, but closed her lips around his fingers and sucked lightly on them, moaning very softly. Knuckles, of course, was aroused by this and he shifted to cover himself a little better. After she parted her lips, Knuckles withdrew his hand and placed his other on the back of her head to draw her closer to him. Tentatively, he placed a soft kiss on her neck and earned a soft moan in response. Encouraged, he began to place stronger kisses on her neck and more frequently. For Nicole, this was exactly as she wanted it. She could feel bliss filling every part of her body and her head began to become clouded with desire.

Knuckles progressed up and down her neck, then placed a gentle kiss on her lips and Nicole returned the favor by parting hers for Knuckles to enter. And he did. Exchanging, tongues and saliva, Nicole shifted and climbed over the basket, effectively knocking over the uneaten fruit and leaned into Knuckles. Knuckles himself, leaned back and allowed Nicole to climb over him. Nestling her body against his, Nicole and Knuckles lost themselves in passion with Nicole lightly grinding herself against him and Knuckles ran his hands up and down her back, hips, and thighs.

Time seemed to stand still and they didn't even notice the sun passing the high point in the sky and slowly descending on the other side. It was early afternoon before, they even noticed that the sky was turning a golden orange. They had spent the better part of the day conversing, eating, and romancing. But neither particularly cared. Right now, it was them and each other. Nicole softly bit Knuckles's lip and began thrusting a little harder. Her dress began to ride up and Knuckles could definitely tell that his lower regions were stirring.

Knuckles broke away. "Wait," he said, barely getting through to Nicole. "I thought we agreed to take it slow."

"Have we not? We have *pant* gone on a date as *pant* you *pant* requested. Is that not enough?"

Knuckles started to answer, but hesitated. It was true that sometimes a first date lead to sex, but in most cases that was definitely a second or third date at least.

Taking his silence as an insult, Nicole frowned. She stopped and sat up. "Are you insinuating that I am not desirable enough for you?"

"What?" Knuckles immediately replied, a confused look crossing his face. "No."

"If you do not find me attractive, then what **do** you find more attractive? Sally? I can make myself look like her."

Knuckles was utterly shocked and simultaneously interested by that statement. That one phrase had several implications, but he quickly abandoned those ideas. It would be both immoral and wrong of him to take advantage of Nicole and Sally's likeness in that way. Besides, Sally was cute, but right now, he really aroused by Nicole's true form. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"I just... I really want to make this special, you know, and I don't want to rush it."

Nicole hadn't thought of it that way. Knuckles's reluctance up to this point had mainly made her question her self-esteem and wonder if he preferred other women... or males. But, perhaps he really did want to do it with her, but was savoring it. She had to admit, the more she had to wait, the more desirable it seemed. Perhaps he seemed more logical than she had originally given him credit for. Nodding, she lowered herself once more and rested her head on his chest. "So what do we do now?"

Knuckles paused. "Well, we could try that kissing thing again."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Chapter 3 is up! Well, I must admit, I'm proud of myself. I wasn't sure I would/could get to this point, but I did. So anyways, what are your thoughts? Reviews are always appreciated! It really brightens my day when I come home from work after feeling under-appreciated and my cat greets me with daily petting sequence before I sit down at my computer. As far as my comments on this chapter goes, it's definitely the longest posted thus far on this story and with good reason. I really wanted to get into the romance and I did. I think I did pretty well on slowly advancing the scene where they make out and providing some background information. And naturally, Sally already is suspicious about the affair, but doesn't have any proof to back it up... yet. The next chapter should be up in the next week or so. This is TheEpicTales2, signing off.


	4. Chapter 4: A Counter Proposal

**Chapter 4: A Counter Proposal:**

The sun had set and the moon was rising by the time Knuckles snuck back into the HQ. Despite his doubts, that first date hadn't been as bad as he had expected. Nicole didn't give up easy, but that only increased his excitement. He felt dirty keeping this from Sally and the others, but he couldn't deny that he liked the feeling. It was like his dirty little secret and that feeling was just undescribable and by God, he loved it. It almost felt like cheating, but he couldn't place why he felt like that. He wasn't in any serious relationship, but that euphoria persisted.

Carefully and quietly, he opened the door to the Commons as silently as he could. Gingerly setting the basket aside, he painstakingly tiptoed across the room with Nicole's hardware in his hands. With any luck, everyone would be asleep and not question him about where he had been all day.

He was halfway across the oversized chamber when a light switched on from the other side of the room. Caught completely offguard, Knuckles whipped in the direction of the light and quickly hid the circular device behind his back as he faced his discoverer. The harsh light blurred his vision, but he could faintly make out a dark figure sitting in recliner facing his direction. Shielding his eyes with his free hand, Knuckles stammered, "O-oh, h-hey. Wh-what are you d-doing up-p?" Breaking out in a cold sweat and heart-racing, he waited anxiously for the shadowy form to identify itself.

Without replying, the other reached out and tilted the lamp back to its original position, illuminating the shape of Sally Acorn sitting cross-legged in the recliner. Folding her hands together in a calm and sinister manner, Sally regarded the nervous echidna with a smirk. "Getting back awfully late," she said simply.

Knuckles froze. Shit. How would he talk his way out of this? "Uh..."

"What's that behind your back?" Sally asked pointedly.

"What thing?"

Sally's smirk faded and was replaced with comtempt. "Don't play stupid, Knux."

"Nothing, seriously," he lied with faltering lips.

"Nothing?" she echoed. "Then show me your hands."

Rebuilding his nerve, Knuckles steeled himself and gave the chipmunk a stony glare. "Why?"

"Am I going to have to rip it from your hands?"

"What?" Knuckles shrugged, "I honestly don't know what your talking about."

Sally sighed. "Okay, looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way." Rising up out of her seat, Sally approached Knuckles, who rapidly retreated and backed up into a wall.

"Sal, I don't have anything behind my back."

"If I believed that, then we wouldn't be here."

Cutting off his escape, Sally reached behind Knuckles's back and grasped at Nicole's unit. Knuckles pushed her back, but Sally didn't budge and managed to get a hold of the disk and tried to wrench it from Knuckles's grasp. "Nothing, huh?"

"Sally. I can explain, just let go!"

"Afraid I'll break your girlfriend?"

Knuckles was shocked by how well Sally hit that nail on the head. But he wasn't about to let her know that.

Wrestling for the object, the item flew from both of their hands and clattered to the floor. Knuckles made as if to dive for it, but, Sally pushed him back against the wall and picked up the computer. The screen had begun to flicker and Nicole's voice crackled to life: "Boy, Knuckles, you are not very... Sally?" Sally pressed the off switch and the device shut back off. Looking it over, she glanced at Knuckles.

"She doesn't look too damaged. I can have Tails look at her later."

Knuckles swallowed nervously. "Okay, you got me. I needed her to... um... identify an... um... tree."

"Why would you lie about this?" she asked, indicating the computer disk. "I'm not mad about it."

"Y-you're not?"

"No," she laughed softly, shaking her head. "Just more upset you didn't ask me first."

"About the disc?"

"No. Sex. If you wanted that, all you had to do was ask."

Knuckles's jaw literally dropped to the floor. What?! She couldn't be serious. Flapping his jaws uselessly, Sally set Nicole's hardware aside and gently closed his mouth. "You know, I always thought you were cute," she said seductively, drawing her finger across his lips before placing a soft kiss on them. Knuckles's mind was racing a mile a minute right now. This was entirely unexpected. He thought Sally would either go beserk on him or be disgusted by his perversion... not... this.

"So what do you say? Ditch the hardware and try a **real** girl?"

Knuckles snapped out of his reverie and began to stutter. "We n-never..."

"I don't judge."

"We didn't. It was just a date."

"Good, so your still the mood, eh?"

Knuckles gave a highly nervous laugh. "Uh, look, Sal. I appreciate the offer and all, but..."

Sally stopped nipping his dreadlocks and made a sharp look at the echidna. "Wait. Are you rejecting me?"

"Don't think of it that way... Think it more as 'taking a rain check'."

A look of hurt and rage suddenly overcame Sally as she whirled away from Knuckles. "Forget it! I practically throw myself on you and you **reject** me?! I can ruin you, Knuckles."

Knuckles was even more bewildered by this sudden change. "Wha-...?"

Sally began to sob. What the f*** was going on? One minute, she was interrogating him, the next she was seducing him, and now she was crying? It was now that Knuckles decided women were bipolar. Or tripolar? Placing a hand on her shoulder, Knuckles spoke. "I'm sorry, Sal. I didn't mean it like that."

"What's wrong with me? You won't have me, Geoffry turned out to be gay, and even Sonic doesn't seem interested. The only one who wants to sleep with me is Antoine. Ugh." She shivered in disgust at the thought.

"That's not true. I'd love to, but I kinda already commited myself."

Sally turned to glance at Knuckles. "To an overglorified calculator?"

"Well, when you put it like that..."

"Do you think Sonic's gay too?" she asked.

"Well, gay is a definite possibility," he said, having noticed how much attention Sonic gave to his "li'l bro" Tails. Pushing that thought out of his mind, Knuckles patted the chipmunk's back.

Sally stopped sobbing and sniffled in self-pity. Then something occured to her. If she couldn't seduce him, then maybe she could blackmail him. "You want to keep your relationship with Nicole a secret, I assume?"

"That would be preferable," he agreed.

"Then have sex with me **tonight**."

"What? I already... Wait, are you blackmailing me?"

"If that's what it takes."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"What do you think?"

Knuckles sighed. True, Sally was preferable to Nicole, but he did make a promise to Nicole. But, then again, she never said he **couldn't** have sex with some one else. This morality conundrum was really getting out of hand. "Okay... I guess it couldn't hurt, but I don't have any protection."

"I came prepared," said Sally, flashing a shiny, square wrapper. Knuckles shook his head. She really had this planned out didn't she?

"Alright."

"Great." Sally leapt to her feet. "I'll be in my room waiting."

She smacked his rear-end excitedly as she quietly jogged down the hall. Knuckles stood in place for a moment, then sighed and followed Sally without glancing at Nicole's silicon prison.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, so this isn't my best work thus far, but then again I wrote this in about an hour and half. Warning: there will be lemon in the next chapter. But you should already know that. On a separate note, I apologize for the wide gap between updates. But life, it creeps up on you sometimes, you know? My next chapter should be up next week. Bye!


	5. Chapter 5: He's a Screamer

**Chapter 5: He's a Screamer:**

Knuckles arrived outside Sally's door and knocked lightly on the wooden barrier. There was the sound of rustling sheets and something falling to the floor, followed by a muffled "Shit.", before the chipmunk cleared her throat and called out "Enter" in her sultriest voice. Taking a quick breath, Knuckles squared his shoulders and turned the knob. As the door swung open, Knuckles glanced around Sally's room. It appeared much as it did before, neat and organized, but the room was fairly dim and illuminated by a handful of scented candles scattered throughout the room and headboard of Sally's large bed. The bed was indeed queen-sized and twice as big as Knuckles's cot in his room. Stretched languidly on the spread, Sally had a hand on her hip and ditched her jacket for a simple, black-laced nightie. The flimsy piece of clothing left little to the imagination. The thin strap on her left shoulder was loose and the hem of the gown ended just above her silk panties of the same color. It was a subtle change, but was very erotic. Knuckles found he had little trouble getting a hard one.

"Ooh, Knux, seeing your big, hard **** is getting me so wet," crooned Sally, eyeing the echidna's twitching tool. Knuckles felt his member quivering in anticipation. Something about all this seemed wrong, but he decided to hell with it. He'd had enough of questioning his choices and willingness to bend the rules for too long. Now, he would just dive in headfirst and see what came out of it.

Gesturing with a finger, Sally laid back on her silk sheets, waiting for the echidna to join her. Not wasting a moment, Knuckles kicked off his shoes and clambered onto the bed with Sally. After a little awkward positioning and sensual kisses, Knuckles slid his love muscle into her tunnel and began a series of slow, even thrusts.

Sally gasped softly and bit her lip to not cry aloud at the pain and pleasure she was receiving. This was it, she was losing her virginity to an actual guy! She didn't mind the slight numbing pain, it just felt... right. Knuckles was big, but not too huge. Just about right. She had masturbated before, of course, but never really penetrated herself. Now, she was starting to regret that.

It wasn't long before Knuckles began to work a little faster. The thrusts and waves of pleasure began to come quicker and stronger. Her whines and whimpers started to get hard to muffle and the headboard was knocking against the wall more rapidly. However, Sally didn't really care who heard at this point, in fact, she wanted them to hear.  
* * *

In the room adjacent to Sally's a terrified Tails sat in his bed, clutching his pillow to his chest as he listened to the sound of Sally's headboard bang against his wall on the opposite side of the room and Sally's soft whines accompanied by Knuckles's lower moans. He was going to have nightmares for weeks.  
* * *

Knuckles, on top of the chipmunk with eyes tightly shut, was panting with exertion and sweat began to bead down his forehead and back. Sally was tight and squeezed his unit with each backthrust. God, this was... incredible! Is this what he had been so afraid of all along? He felt utterly ridiculous for being such a wuss and demanding Nicole that they take it slow.

Soon, Knuckles felt pressure building up in his loins and instinctively knew what was going to happen next. "Sal..." he grunted, "I'm gonna..."

'Already?' thought Sally, disappointed. She had hoped he could've gone longer, but understood that logically it couldn't last forever. 'Oh, well,' she thought, 'Maybe I can get him to do a round two after he has time too... Wait.' Something just occured to Sally that they seemed to have forgotten something important. 'Shit!'

"Knuckles, wait!" she yelped futilely. Knuckles came full force and covered her interior with his potent seed. 'No! Goddammit...' she swore mentally. Shoving Knuckles off of her, Sally sat up and looked down between her legs, but the damage was already done. "You... You moron!" she screamed furiously at the confused echidna.

"What?" asked Knuckles from the floor, oblivious to what he had done.

"If I...-" Sally huffed deeply. She was so angry she couldn't speak. Knuckles on the other hand was still clueless about what he had done wrong. Did he cum too soon or... Then it hit him. He forgot to put the rubber balloon aroung his tool before mounting her. How could have forgotten such an important thing.

"Get out," mumbled Sally with a dangerous undertone.

"But I-"

"Get out!"

Knuckles snapped his jaw shut and, gathering his shoes, hurried out of Sally's room, slamming the door shut behind him. Huffing and catching his breath, Knuckles leaned against the door heavily. It was a full minute before he realized someone was watching him. Looking to his left, he saw a young Cream staring wide-eyed at the echidna. She had just woken up to get a glass of water, but witnessed Knuckles being chased out of Sally's room.

"Uh..." said Knuckles.

Cream turned tail and ran back down the hall to her mother. 'Uh oh.'

* * *

**Author's Note:** Again, fairly short, but a faster update. I was just one paragraph into writing this when I thought to myself 'What am I doing with my life?' Regardless, I started it and, with God as my witness, I **will** finish it. That omitted word in the second paragraph is an intentional troll. I didn't want to write such a vulgar word, but I'm sure many of you can guess what word goes there. As far as next chapter teasers go, Vanilla will be involved in the next chapter and maybe Sonic and/or Tails. And Tails being scarred for life? Priceless in my opinion. It's similar to the first time you walked in on your parents having sex after you heard weird noises coming from their room. Remember that? No? Just me? All right, then. Next chapter should be up in another week or so. And after this I may attempt to finish my other unfinished fanfic "A Guardian's Duty" (Knux and Blaze pairing) or start a new project, although I'd like to finish my others first. This is TheEpicTales2 and don't forget to **read &amp; review**!


	6. Chapter 6: And It Wasn't Even Good

**Chapter 6: And It Wasn't Even Good:**

Sally and Knuckles sat on the love seat in the main commons. Spaced as far apart as they could manage on the forest green furniture piece, neither made eye contact. Knuckles's head hung low in shame and embarassment while Sally had her arms crossed with a scowl plastered on her face. Vanilla, Cream's mother, paced back and forth in front of the pair, shaking her head and muttering a mix of aggravated grumbles and exasperated sighs. At length, the older stopped and turned towards the teenagers seated on the couch. Sighing heavily and visibly forcing herself to replace her annoyed expression with one of concern, she spoke: "I know you guys are young and want to experiment, but I just-... Do you really think it's smart to be doing that?"

Knuckles didn't respond and Sally merely shrugged.

Seating herself between the two, Vanilla placed a hand on Sally's shoulder and on Knuckles's knee. "Did your parents ever have 'the talk' with either of you?"

Sally shook her head, deliberately avoiding the rabbit's eyes. Turning to Knuckles, she inferred from his confused look that his parents had not. "Great," she said with heavy sarcasm. "Ok, well as your elder, I suppose I should step in and explain things for the both of you." 'I hadn't planned on having this conversation for another six years,' she thought with resignation.

"Mrs. V," began Sally, "You don't have to-"

"Apparently, I do," she interrupted. "Now, let's start with what you know and I'll fill you in on what you're missing."

When neither teen volunteered, Vanilla pressed onward. "Alright, well, do you know how to use condoms?"

Sally gave a quick nod and Knuckles coughed uncomfortably.

"Do I have to get a banana and demonstrate for you?"

"No! I mean, I think I can figure it out," replied Knuckles hastily.

"Fine. And do you know why it's prudent to always use one?"

"To avoid pregnacy," answered Sally.

"And, sexually transmitted infections," added Vanilla. "While the first is probably a bigger issue for you two, it's important for the latter too."

Standing, Vanilla gave another heavy sigh before looking back at the teens. "I'm not either of your mothers, and I can't stop you two from doing what ever you plan on doing, but I can ask that you play it safe. Did you at least use a rubber?"

"I- I forgot," admitted Knuckles.

Vanilla shook her head in annoyance.

"Did you pull out?"

Knuckles opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't force the words out and simply shook his head.

"Ok, Sally, I think it's a good idea if we had you take a pregnancy test and when was the last time you had your period?"

Sally hesitated out of spite, but eventually replied in a low tone: "Six days ago."

"Ok, we'll take the test and tell me if you're late for your next period."

"Fine."

"Okay," said Vanilla as she ran her hands over her face, "I think we're done here. Let this be a lesson. I hope you two plan better next time."

"Trust me, there won't be a 'next time'," stated Sally with a flat tone. Knuckles cast a shocked and hurt look at Sally, but the chipmunk's expression was unwavering. "It wasn't even good."

Vanilla blushed a light pink. "I didn't ask for details, but I'm sorry it wasn't what you were expecting."

"So am I," replied Sally as she stood up and followed the older rabbit towards the facility's restrooms. Knuckles sat, utterly stunned and stung by Sally's scathing remark. It was his first time, what did she expect from him? Knuckles was jostled out of his moment of self-pity when Sonic jumped over the backside of the couch and propped his feet up on the nearby coffee table.

"So how was it, Knucklehead?"

"Sonic! Were you eavesdropping?"

"Duh," replied the irrepressible hedgehog.

"Don't tell anyone!"

"Why? Gossip this juicy? I gotta tell somebody."

"Do it and I'll kick your ass!"

Sonic shrugged and gave his signature arrogant grin. "You'd have to catch me first and, no offense, but you're a slowpoke. In more ways than one, I hear."

"Dick," muttered Knuckles.

"So what happened? Did you pop your load too early or what? Or is your dick too small to-"

Losing his temper with the hedgehog, Knuckles lashed out a fist and busted Sonic in the lip. Falling over the side of the armrest, Sonic nursed his bleeding mouth and let out muffled moans of pain.

Knuckles stood up and crossed over to the hedgehog, leaned over and whispered in the hedgehog's ear. "Breath one word about anything you heard, and I'll give you more than a fat lip. Got it?"

Sonic nodded meekly and the echidna left the hedgehog to tend to his wound.  
* * *

"I'm sorry I had to be strict with you and Knuckles," apologized Vanilla as she and Sally approached the female restrooms. "It's just with your parents and Knuckles's being absent, I feel like I should step in for them when needed."

"I understand and thank you for that," said Sally. "But Knuckles and I are adults. We can make our own decisions."

"I know why you feel that way, but you and Knuckles are still teenagers, and it saddens me that such a terrible burden has fallen upon yor shoulders. You should be able to make those kinds of mistakes and not worry about fighting evil. But with circumstances being the way they are, I think you and Knuckles or who ever you guys sleep with should wait until you're a little older and this Eggman situation is taken care of."

Sally sighed. "You're right, of course."

A small pause of silence created a break in the conversation before Vanilla spoke again. "I know it's none of my business, but may I ask how many men you have had intercourse with?"

Sally shoot her a sharp look.

"I'm not implying you're a slut or anything like that. I just would like to know."

"Up until 'Idiot', none."

"Oh, I thought you and Sonic were a couple," mentioned Vanilla.

"No. Ew, no. If he wasn't such an arrogant prick ninety percent of time, I might have considered it. But I think even saying we're friends is stretching it."

"Ok, I'm glad to hear Knuckles is the only one so far."

"Well... that isn't entirely true..."

Vanilla glanced at the chipmunk and rose an eyebrow.

Glancing up and down the hall, Sally checked no one was nearby and indicated to Vanilla to lean closer. Placing her ear next to Sally's mouth, the chipmunk whispered something into the rabbit's large, floppy sensory organ. Vanilla's face quickly turned beet red and her mouth twisted in bizarre mix of surprise, shock, and embarassment. "Really? With B-" she began.

"Shh!" hissed Sally, "not out loud. And you can't say anything. We just drank a **little** too much and I might've kissed her."

Vanilla shook her head. "Please, don't say anything else. I don't need to hear more."

Stepping inside the tiled bathroom, Vanilla handed Sally a small white stick with spoonlike shape at one end. "Ok, take this and-"

"I know," Sally cut her off and stepped in a stall, locking the door behind her. While waiting for the chipmunk and the results, Vanilla leaned against one of the sinks and stared up at the ceiling. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't get image of Sally and her niece... out of her mind. Neither had particularly struck her that way, but then again, she herself had experiment that way in college and... she was pretty sure the video was still on the internet somewhere.

After about two minutes, there was a flush and Sally stepped out. Carefully handing the device over to Vanilla, the rabbit studied the screen and saw one line appearing. "Ok, according to this, you aren't pregnant, but you'll need to take another just before your next period. Especially if you're late." Throwing the expended device away, Vanilla nodded to Sally and left quietly, leaving the chipmunk alone with her thoughts.

Leaning forward on the edge of the middle sink, Sally thought about her experience with Knuckles and how she had responded. She certainly hadn't been fair to the echidna. While it wasn't great, the fact that he was willing to try should've helped. She still wasn't sure why Knuckles had stolen and hid Nicole's computer from her, but judging by how he had reacted, she assumed that her initial assumption had been close, if not completely right. Whatever. If he wanted to... whatever with Nicole. Fine. He definitely could use some practice. 'Maybe, I'll apologize to him for insulting his manhood like that, but not right now.'

Turning on the cold water and splashing some on her face, Sally tore off a few paper towels and dried her face. She wasn't pregnant. She was sure of that, but it was a closer call than it should have been. And if there was even a glimmer of doubt that she wasn't, she wasn't sure how Knuckles would handle that. Better than Sonic would, no doubt, but he was still a bit immature and tempermental. Standing up straight, she checked herself over in the mirror and exited the bathroom.

A few seconds later, a pink hedgehog peeked out of the farthest stall from the door, not entirely sure what she had overheard.  
* * *

Inside the digital world, Nicole frowned and fretted as she sat on a small block of solid data in the infite dimensions of her virtual reality. She hadn't heard from Knuckles since last night, or anyone for that matter. And with Sally discovering their little escapade, Nicole wasn't sure that her best friend would let Knuckles and herself see each other again. 'I hope they managed to work things out.'

* * *

**Author's Note:** Um, that took a lot longer than I thought it would. Not the actually writing, but how long before I actually sat down and forced myself to write something new. Man, where do the days do? Anyways, here's the sixth chapter and I plan on starting the seventh before the week is over (from today). As always, reviews are appreciated and help make my day. Aside from that, I don't have much else to say, so this is TheEpicTales2 signing off.


	7. Chapter 7: Jiggle Physics

**Chapter 7: Jiggle Physics:**

Lunch was an awkward affair, even for those not involved in the scandal between Sally and Knuckles. When Vanilla announced that lunch was ready, the Freedom Fighters assembled in their normal spots, but many of them including Knuckles, Sally, Sonic, and Amy, cast uneasy or uncomfortable glances at each other, yet avoided eye contact. The others, like Tails, Antoine, and Bunnie shared a series of questioning looks, but none could provide an answer for their comrades' unusual behavior. Sitting in silence, the teenagers dug in and ate quietly.

Attempting to break the air of stillnss around the table, Tails swallowed a bite of tuna sandwich and spoke. "Mm, this is great, Mrs. V, thank you," he said as he took another bite.

"You're welcome, Tails," she replied. And silence reigned once more.

Another few minutes of silence lasted before Antoine this time spoke up. Standing up from his chair, he smiled at Bunnie and banged his spoon against his glass, calling for attention. "_Excusez-moi_," he began in his reedy voice. "I have a, how do you say, important announcement."

Bunnie looked as if she was expecting something and the others raised various confused and surprised expressions. Turning to Bunnie, Antoine spoke. "Ms. Rabbot, life is short and we must grab every ounce of happiness _zat_ is held in front of us, because we may never know when our time on _zis_ world will be, er, finished. And you, my _duchesse_, are _ze_ carrot on my stick." Sonic snickered. Ignoring him, Antoine pressed on,"So, Ms. Rabbot, would you do me _ze_ honor of becoming my bride?"

"Oh mah stars. Ant, my dear, are you serious?"

"I am, milady."

"Then... Yes, o' course, Ah accept!"

Crying tears of joy and unexpected surprise, Bunnie stood up and threw her arms around the coyote, then placed a kiss on his lips. While Rotor, Amy, and Tails congratulated the young couple, the others were a bit surprised and unsure of how to react. Vanilla threw a glance over at Sally, but the chipmunk had her eyes on Knuckles, who, in turn, was staring at Antoine and Bunnie with his jaw slightly agap. Sonic, meanwhile, shrugged and kept eating. Vanilla's sleeve was tugged by her daughter, Cream. Turning her gaze to the younger rabbit, Vanilla blinked and regarded the little girl as if in a daze. "Yes, Creamie?"

"Are they gonna get married, Mommy?"

"I guess so," she replied, with a tone of slight disbelief. She was happy for her niece and her beau, but it was a little hard to believe her teenage relative was tying the knot already.

After the congrulations and well-wishers quieted down and resumed eating, Sally murmured, "I had sex with your fiancee." The low mumble was made just loud enough for Antoine and the others to hear. Giving Sally an incredulous look, Antoine glanced at Bunnie who appeared both furious and stunned simultaneously. Vanilla naturally covered Cream's ears and Sonic had the misfortune of sipping his drink at the time. Choking on the carbonated beverage, Sonic coughed violently and stared wide-eyed at the chipmunk.

"W-what?!" he exclaimed, still coughing.

Sally didn't answer and continued to twirl her food listlessly before taking another bite, as if ignoring her own statement.

"_Zis_ is not true, is it?" asked Antoine, looking his new fiancee directly in the eye.

"Er, well, it's a little fuzzy, but..." began Bunnie, anxiously trying to beat around the bush.

"I- I cannot believe _zis_! Why would you not me?"

"Because it was a mistake an' b'fore we started dating, Antoine."

Still reeling from this revelation, Antoine sat down unsteadily and flapped his jaws uselessly. At length, he overcame his shock and took his fiancee's hand. "Er, no matter. As they say, _ze_ show must go on!"

"Thanks, Antoine, for understandin'." Shooting a death glare at Sally, the rabbit kissed Antoine on the cheek and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Knuckles cleared his throat. "Well, this was an exciting meal," he commented wryly.

Standing up, the echidna was about to excuse himself when Amy blurted out: "Sally might be pregnant!"

More astonished and startled expressions swept through the room. Groaning, Knuckles covered his eyes with his large, knuckled hand while Sally snapped to life.

"You little... How did you find out?"

"I- I overheard... in the bathroom," squeaked Amy.

Vanilla sighed. They should've checked the bathroom before talking so blithely she supposed.

"Nothing new," jabbed Sonic.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin'," shrugged Sonic.

"Nothing? Oh, I'll show you nothing, blue ball-," began Sally, brandishing her teeth in a snarl.

"That's enough!"

Everyone was surprised to see Vanilla rise up sharply and slam her hands down on the table, knocking over several cups in the process. Silence reigned supreme as the teenagers prepared for a scolding from the motherly rabbit.

"You guys are friends. Why are you fighting like this? Spreading rumors and causing drama, for what? I understand things are tense, and familiarity breeds contempt, but you guys shouldn't be arguing with each other. For Pete's sake! Look at yourselves!"

Ashamed, the teenage Mobians cast reproachful glances at each other. Some, when their eyes met looked away instanteneously, such as Knuckles and Sally, Bunnie and Sally, Amy and Sonic, and so on. Ecah knew of some small bicker or argument they had in the past with one another and felt guilt pricking at their hearts.

Pushing onward, Vanilla continued: "From now on, I expect you to act like friends and the team that you are. No rumors, no lies, no secrets. After all, it was Sally's father who said: 'Divided we are weak, united we are strong.' during the Great War. We are fighting one now and if you all don't clean up your act, the war will be over before it began." Satisfied with her reprimanding, Vanilla picked up her daughter and left the dining hall.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Sally spoke up. "Sorry, Bunnie. I wish you and Antoine the best of luck."

Bunnie sighed. "Thanks, Sally. Apology accepted."

Next Amy piped up. "And I'm sorry I blurted out your secret earlier. I should've kept my nose out of your business."

"Thank you, Amy." Nodding, Sally turned her attention to Sonic.

"What?" asked the hedgehog, feigning ignorance.

"Don't you owe me an apology?"

"Oh, fine. Sorry I insinuated you were slut."

"Thank you."

"Bitch," he muttered under his breath.

Next, Sally looked at Knuckles and gradually, all eyes were turned on the chidna, wondering what the he had done to the princess.

"What?" asked Knuckles. Truly, he didn't know what he was expected to say.

"Anything you want to get off your chest, Knux?"

"Um," he drawled, thinking quickly. "Is this about... the... uh... whole... 'came in you' thing?"

Tails blanched and Amy flushed a deep crimson.

"No... well, that too. But I was thinking more about a certain someone you've been sneaking around with recently."

"Oh, oh!" exclaimed Knuckles, understanding who she was referring to. "Uh, not really. We don't have to let every know do we?" he asked as quietly as he could manage.

"Better to say it now before they find out anyways."

Sonic himself was intrigued. "Yeah, spit it out, Red. What **have** you been doing. Besides, boning Sal?"

With all those eyes on him, Knuckles couldn't maintain his cool. "Uh, I'm, uh, dating... Nicole..." he reluctantly admitted.

There was another moment of stillness before the Freedom Fighters burst into laughter. Knuckles was caught off-guard and rpaidly got angry as he overcame his surprise. "You guys think it's funny?!" he growled over the cacophony of chortles, giggles, and delirious laughter. Even Amy and Tails were giggling, with the pink one at least trying to cover it. Blushing with building rage and embarassment, Knuckles furrowed his brow and tried to look as threatening as possible. Sonic clapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh man," he said, still chuckling as fat tears began to roll down his slowly reddening cheeks, "that's just too rich. You and Miss Blackberry getting it on? Hahaha! Are you, heh, gonna get married, buy a virtual house, and have, *snicker* two point five virtual kids?"

After this comment, the laughing redoubled and Bunnie even fell out of her chair followed by Rotor and Tails. The only two not giggling were Sally and Knuckles.

"Screw you guys," muttered Knuckles as he departed, leaving the greatly amused group of teens and preteens behind.  
* * *

Knuckles strolled listlessly down the hallway for the bunks, passing several doors and small, dusty window slits. Shaking his head, he gave a sigh that conveyed both frustration and depression. Why did Sally put him on the spot like that? He knew the others would very likely mock him for it, but that did little to soothe the sting of being ridiculed by his "friends" like that. But curiously, this experience didn't encourage him to cut things off with Nicole. Instead, it gave him a kind of incentive to make sure he went **all the way** with the holographic lynx. In truth, he found he was slightly angered by how unaccepting Sonic and the others were of Nicole having a relationship with a real Mobian. What exactly made a Mobian a Mobian? Was it flesh and blood? Only those with a physical body were considered a person? What about being born? Did someone have to literally give birth to another by conventional means to be considered a person? Or was it morals and the ability to discern between right and wrong? While Nicole couldn't boast about the first two, she was the champion of the the final qualifier. On more than one occasion, Nicole had been the one to correct Sally or Sonic on the right course of action. Mobians by nature had flaws; both physically and mentally. But Nicole... she was perfect.

During that train of thought, Knuckles realized he hadn't spoken to Nicole since that night after their first date. 'I hope she isn't steaming a little,' he thought, briskly quickening his pace towards Rotor's lab, where he was hoping Sally had left her. Stepping inside the dimly-lit workshop, Knuckles quickly scanned the room, then fixed his gaze on her tablet-like device sitting in the center of Rotor's worktable. Picking it up, he flipped on the computer and waited as it booted up. After a few moments the screen flickered to life and Nicole herself appeared a few moments later.

Blinking, Nicole gave a short glance around her then rested her eyes on Knuckles. "Oh, hello, Knuckles. I was wondering what had happened last night."

Knuckles shrugged. "Um, Sally caught me sneaking and... well... it not's not important."

"Was she... upset?"

Knuckles turned his gaze away slightly. "Er, kind of. But, she didn't seem to mind too much." Wanting to change the subject, Knuckles coninued, "She kinda guessed what we were doing, but didn't say we had to end it, so I just wanted to talk with you."

Nicole nodded. "Alright. Are you having second thoughts?"

Knuckles adamently shook his head. "No. In fact, I think I really want to see this through. Especially since everybody knows now."

"Everybody?" echoed Nicole.

Knuckles nodded. "Yup. There was a little fight in the dining room and Vanilla forced us to talk it all out. Sally pretty much forced me to tell the others, but they didn't exactly crucify me... So I think that's a good start."

"Were you embarassed?"

"Not really," he replied. "I knew they'd react that way, and that's part of why I was so hesitant to accept your... offer. But in the end, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so now I just want to finish what I started."

Nicole felt two things. One was akin to something many called, love? Affection? No matter. The second was a kind of early stage of lust. Now that she knew Knuckles wouldn't back out, even after being humilated, she could parts of her tingle with anticipation. "So does that mean you are ready to-"

"Not quite," he interrupted. "There are still a few things I want to do before we... You know,... fornicate?"

Nicole nodded with some slight resignation. "Well, perhaps, I can... give you a peek. Just to help arouse you?"

Knuckles thought about it for a moment. It significantly less time than he took to decide what to eat for breakfast most days. Nodding as enthusiastically as he dared, Nicole took one step closer and teasingly slipped her shoulder strap off. Half-turning and looking coyly at the echidna, Nicole noticed his pleased expression and his eyes flickering over her figure. After another brief moment, Nicole spun back around towards Knuckles and slipped her top down slowly. And then a puzzled expression crossed her soon-to-be lover's face. "What?" she asked.

"There's nothing there."

Looking down, Nicole noticed that her breasts were covered by a small black bar that shielded practically everything but the top of her cleavage. "Damn censors," she muttered. "Give a moment. Connecting to her hardware, she fiddled with the safety settings and removed the "Family Friendly viewing" feature. After another half-second, the black bar disappeared and revealed her modest, C-cup breasts with pert nipples and dark brown areola. Knuckles let his jaw hang open slightly as he beheld the sexy image before him. Running her hands through her short, black hair, she did another small spin, giving Knuckles a full view. Like normal boobs, her pair bounced and swung with her. 'Good. My jiggle physics seems to be working correctly,' she thought.

Stepping closer to Knuckles, she placed her hands on his shoulders and Knuckles was forced to tear his gaze from her beautiful bosom and into her eyes. With her emerald eyes meeting his piercing, deep violet irises. And then, the two slowly drew closer, closed their eyes, and met lips. If their first kiss was electrifying, this one was magical. With Knuckles's inhibitions gone, he took great liberty in running his large, pointed hands across her body, gliding across her soft posterier, feeling the crease in her back, and through her hair. Resting his right hand on her furred neck, Knuckles held the lynx close and kissed her more passionately than he had kissed anyone before.

After what seemed like an eternity and a few moments at once, they were interrupted by two other females entering Rotor's lab. Sally and Amy observed the two lost in their kiss as the metal doors slid open, rather noisily in fact. Breaking away from her for a moment, Knuckles glanced at the two who had so rudely intruded without so much as a knock. "Relax, Red, we just came to apologize, although it seems you didn't waste anytime to meet your girlfriend," said Sally, wearing a slightly smug look.

Embarassed, Nicole quickly slipped her strap back on and hid her nudity from other two. Holding Knuckles's arm, she gave a sheepish smile to Sally.

"Look, Sally, I know you don't approve, but I don't care. I like Nicole and I won't be shamed from seeing her."

"I'm not trying to shame you," replied Sally. "I just thought you might like it if Amy and I agreed to help you out a little."

"Help how?"

"I was thinking a nice romantic dinner. Just the two of you."

"You would do that?" asked Nicole, even more surprised than Knuckles.

"I would," nodded Sally.

Knuckles looked hesitant. "I don't know... What about Sonic and-"

"They won't be a problem. You have my word. I just feel bad for you two and want to help make ammends."

Knuckles glanced at Nicole.

"Oh, Knuckles, will you at least consider it?"

The look of hesitation was still clear on his face, but seeing Nicole's equally pleading and hopeful face broke down his reservations about agreeing to the offer. "Fine. We'll accept. Thank you, Sally. And you too, Amy."

Sally turned to Amy. "Excellent. Amy will start cooking and I'll make the arrangements. Meet us seven o'clock and it'll be ready." With that, the chipmunk and the pink hedgehog departed, leaving Knuckles and Nicole alone once more.

After a few moments and when Knuckles was sure that Sally was out of earshot, he leaned closer to Nicole and murmured: "You know how you said we were both virgins?"

"Yes," replied Nicole.

"You can't say that anymore."

* * *

**Author's Note:** The seventh chapter is here! And only a day later than I anticipated! Anyways, when I was writing this one, I considered to keep going, but I decided "nah, let's just stop here and add the rest in the next chapter." So I resolved a few things in this chapter, mainly because it wsa getting tedious to keep it a secret from the others and I'm already seven chapters in. So the next chapter will be about their second date and maybe something more. Now, to respond to _pennythelynx_, yes, I can write a Knux x Bunnie fic and I can begin work right after I finish this one here. My suggestion is to create an account for and put me on your Author Alert list. That would be the easiest way to keep up to date on my work and be alerted when I do begin my work on this future shipfic. If you can't or don't have an interest in creating an account, then I'd suggest checking about once a week or going to my profile page and bookmarking it. All of these are just suggestions, but I'd recommend at least one of these. Finally, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to stand by for the next. This is TheEpicTales2, signing off.


	8. Chapter 8: Wine & Dine

**Chapter 8: Wine &amp; Dine:**

"I cannot believe you slept with Sally," said Nicole, both annoyed and hurt.

"Well, to be honest, there wasn't much sleeping involved," replied Knuckles, slipping on some black trousers for the evening.

Nicole crossed her arms and pouted. "I wanted to be your first," she whined.

Knuckles winced. "Sorry. She had me cornered, and you know Sal, there's no saying 'no.' I don't even think the word is in her vocabulary."

Nicole sighed, slowly dropping her expression of repressed anger and frustration. "You are correct, as always, Knuckles," she admitted, a new look of minor depression replacing her former. "I just... wanted it to be special. Do you understand?"

Knuckles straightened and turned to the lynx. "I know. I'm sorry."

Nicole turned her gaze to the floor, her eyes seemed to be holding back tears, although Knuckles knew Nicole couldn't actually release fluids. She looked so pitiful and betrayed, that a tide of guilt washed over the male echidna. His shoulders sagged as he approached the lynx and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled. "Remember how you grabbed me like this the other night?" he asked.

Nicole giggled softly. "Yes," she said, "Although you didn't react as favorably as I had hoped."

Knuckles let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I just wasn't as sure about us, back then."

"And now?"

"How about I just put it like this?" he asked as he turned the lynx around and pressed his lips lightly on hers. For a moment, the AI was taken aback, but quickly returned the kiss, pressing hers slightly harder against his until their lips parted and transformed into a true French kiss; the kind that would make Antoine envious. The room and the world itself slowly faded as the two simply enjoyed the passionate touch. After what seemed like mere moments and an entire lifetime, the two broke the kiss and gazed deeply into one another's eyes. His eyes, deep and mysterious, betrayed a hidden passion and another emotion she could only describe as love; to Knuckles, Nicole's bright, curious green eyes seemed exotic and playful. Subconciously, their breathing became light and shallow as their respiratory and cardial systems (his organic and her inorganic) slowly came in sync.

At last, Nicole spoke. "You know, I was contemplating calling the whole affair off," she said quietly.

At first, Knuckles gave her a reproachful look, then realizing it was a tease, smiled once again. "Then just let me say, I won't cheat on you again."

"That's all I ask," she responded.

Breaking eye contact, Knuckles threw on a clean, white shirt and quickly buttoned the garment up before finishing with a worn, but usable black vest. Just as he finished buttoning the piece of clothing a knock came from his door. It was Sonic. "Yo, lovebirds, Sal says it's ready."

"Thanks, Blue," called back Knuckles. "We'll be out in a minute."

There was a pause, as if Sonic was snickering. "Getting started early?" he quipped through the door, "Good thing I just knocked."

Knuckles rolled his eyes and muttered aggressively under his breath. Nicole placed a hand on the echidna's chest. "Do not let him get to you. Tonight is about us, right?"

Knuckles sighed. "Yeah, you're right." He paused and glanced at his partner for the evening. He raised an eyebrow and asked her, "Aren't you going to dress up?"

Nicole gave him a thin smile and nodded. In the breath of a second, her normal, long toga became a shorter, darker version of the original and sported two straps instead of just one.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Knuckles, "A perfect woman right there, most women take an hour to 'get ready'!"

Nicole narrowed her eyes slightly in amusement. "Did you forget I am a hologram? I can change my appearance at will."

"No," said Knuckles, "But it's still awesome."

With that, the two linked arms and opened the door to Knuckles's quarters and Sonic fell over inside, as if he had been trying to listen through the door. Dusting himself off and standing up quickly, Sonic smirked. "Already over? Were you all like-" here, Sonic imitated a man during coitus with a bizarre look of euphoria on his face as his hips thrust slightly, " 'Ur, done!' and she was all like-" Sonic ceased the act and wore a disappointed face, " 'Well, that was like a fun-sized Snickers, short and unsatisfying.' "

Knuckles's eyes narrowed and he resisted the urge to knock the immature hedgehog for a loop. "How did... Let me rephrase, **why** did Sally send you to get us?"

Sonic shrugged. "Well, she told me to apologize for my behavior or she would 'physically remove my balls through my anus' and that sounded unpleasant, so here I am."

"And this is your apology?"

"No," replied Sonic, "this is." A new expression crossed Sonic's face, one that didn't appear too often, seriousness. "I'm sorry, Knux, for making fun of you and your life decisions... _no matter how ridiculous they are..._ and to you, Ms. Lynx, for referring to you as a... um... Blackberry."

Knuckles sniffed. "Guess that will have to do."

"It'd better!" replied Sonic, "I don't apologize to just anyone."

"Thanks, Sonic... I think."

Sonic nodded. "Anyways, Sal's waiting for you in the dining room with Amy and Vanilla. Judging by the smell coming from the kitchen, they were making something good. Wouldn't let me in, though. I wonder why?"

"It's a mystery to all of us," laughed Knuckles. As he and Nicole departed, Nicole cast a glance back at Sonic and made the "call me" gesture. Sonic's face gave a confused visage and when the message registered, he shook his head quickly. No way! Sonic doesn't go for virtual girls.  
*

In the commons, Knuckles and Nicole found Vanilla the Rabbit waiting for them, wearing what appeared to be an old waitress uniform from some diner. "Reservation at seven?" she asked, flawlessly playing the part of hostess.

"Um, yeah, sure," said Knuckles, playing along. This seemed a little too excessive, but he wasn't about to complain.

"Great!" said Vanilla, turning on her heel to lead the couple into the dining room and to a small table in the center, covered with a white curtain and lit by a candlestick with three candles. Knuckles noticed her skirt seemed to be a little shorter than it should have been and could see the very bottom of her rear jiggling slightly with each step. Catching himself, he forced his gaze upwards and guessed that her uniform must have come from her earlier teenage years when she was smaller. After being seated comfortably in a pair of finely crafted chairs, Vanilla flashed the two with a quick smile and informed them that their waiter would with them in a moment.

Once the rabbit left them, Knuckles snuck another peek at Vanilla's short skirt and looked back at Nicole to see if she had noticed. She hadn't and was instead glancing at something in front of her on the table. Looking down at his own side of the table, he saw a printed copy of a fancy Italian menu on the table. He repressed an embarassed groan. They really went all out on this one. A quick scan of the menu revealed to the echidna a long list of foods he couldn't pronounce let alone figure out what it might look like. And the prices... outrageous. He suddenly hoped that they didn't plan on charging him for the date. What kind of favor would that be?

Taking a sip of some ice water, thoughtfully put out for each, Knuckles coughed quietly and glanced about, waiting for their "waiter" to arrive. Nicole finished scanning the menu and rested with her elbows on the table and scratched her leg.  
* * *

Watching from the shadows, Sally, Amy, and Vanilla shared some disapproving and piting looks. Sally was the first to speak the others' minds. "This is painful to watch. Talk! Look at each other! Something!"

Amy grimaced. "I've been on better dates."

"All three?" joked Vanilla.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you had a date?"

Vanilla's eyes narrowed. "Are you calling me old?"

"Hush!" said Sally, "This isn't the time for your guys' squabble over vanity." Turning her attention to Vanilla she gave the rabbit an annoyed look. "And I told you that skirt was too short. Knuckles watched you twice when ole' Nicole wasn't looking."

"Really?" asked Vanilla, blushing as she tried to pull the skirt lower.

"Cut it out," snapped Sally in a hushed voice as she slapped the rabbit's hand. "That isn't helping."  
* * *

Meanwhile at the table, Knuckles attempted some awkward conversation. "Er, they really outdid themselves, huh?"

"Yes," replied Nicole simply.  
* * *

Back to the feminine trio, Sally pushed Amy forward. "Go on, before he can embarass himself any further."

"Alright, alright!" huffed the pink hedgehog.

After a moment, Vanilla spoke up shyly. "Did he, um, seemed pleased?"

"What?" asked Sally, quickly catching on to Vanilla's meaning.

"Well, was he... aroused?" Vanilla reworded.

"Don't tell me..."

"What? I just want to know if guys like him still find me attractive."

"Mrs. Rabbit, let me remind you he's sixteen and we're trying to help him score with Nicole."

"I know that! But... you know, after he's..."

"Just stop," said Sally, covering her eyes with unease.  
* * *

At the table, Knuckles and Nicole straightened as Amy approached. Amy herself wore a tuxedo and fake moustache on her upper lip. This time Knuckles couldn't help but let out a small groan. "Good evening, _Monsieur et Mademoiselle_," greeted Amy in poorly articulated French. "I am Amy and I will be your _garçon_ for _ze_ evening," she continued in her terrible accent. "May I take your orders?"

"Er, yes," said Nicole, caught offguard for the first time by Amy's accent. "I'll take the... um, Carbonara dish."

Amy blinked for a moment, then resumed character. "My apologies, _Madame_, that dish is, uh, unavailable." Leaning over to Knuckles she informed him that she didn't know what that was. Giving an amused smile, Knuckles watched as Nicole glanced back at the menu. Chances were that Amy, Sal, and Mrs. V had only made one thing and the rest was for show.

"Er, how about the, uh, Panzanella?"

At this point, Amy dropped character and scribbled in a notepad, "Spaghetti it is." Turning to Knuckles, she asked, "and you, _Monsieur_?"

Knuckles could barely restrain his laughter. Chuckling as quietly as he could, Knuckles just waved a hand and replied, "the same."

"Very good, that will be out in a minute." Striding away as quickly and dignified as she could, Amy entered the kitchen.

"That is all they made, is it not?" Nicole questioned rhetorically.

"Yes," nodded Knuckles. "But, look on the brightside, at least they did something nice for us, right?"

"Of course," said Nicole, "I did not mean to seem rude, but I wish they had told us that in the first place."  
* * *

In the kitchen, Sally and Vanilla were giggling uncontrolably. Amy ripped off the fake moustache and put her hands on her hips. "I bet you all thought that was pretty funny, huh?"

Unable to speak, Sal and Vanilla nodded.

"Well, next time, you can do it, Sally. Bet you wouldn't find it so funny."

Shaking her head, the chipmunk clapped a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder. "No, we drew straws and you got the waiter part. Fair is fair."

Suddenly stopping her laughter, Vanilla shot upright when the smell of smoke reached her nose. "Oh no! The pasta!"

Turning their collective gaze to the smoking pot on the stove, all three rushed forward to attempt to save the remaining pasta, knocking over a small glass in the process. Ignoring the shattered kitchenpiece, Sally attempted to grab the pot with her bare hands and immediately regretted it. Yanking her hands away, nearly knocking over the pot too, Sally flicked her wrists in pain and cursed frantically. "Holy shit that's hot! Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Running her sore hands under the sink, Sally watched Vanilla lift the pot off the stove with a pair of oven mitts out of the corner of her eye.

"You were supposed to watch the food!" Amy scolded Sally.

Lifting the lid off, Vanilla glanced inside. "It's not too bad, there's just a little black near the edges," she informed the others.

Shutting off the water, Sally thought for a moment. "Okay, while Vanilla and I try to salvage some of the pasta, Amy, go and serve our guests some wine. The cheap stuff, not my private stash."

"Fine," said Amy, placing the moustache back on her upper lip upside down. Grabbing the bucket, filling it with ice, and shoving a bottle of cheap red wine into it, Amy grabbed a pair of wine glasses and stormed out into the dining room.  
* * *

Back at the dinner table, Knuckles's nose twitched as he detected an alarming smell. Twisting around in his chair, he peered at the doorway to the kitchen. "Is something burning?" he wondered aloud. Not three seconds after he asked his question was it answered with a loud crash and what sounded like Sally swearing. Attempting to rise out of his seat and investigate, he was stopped by Nicole placing a hand on his arm.

Glancing back at the lynx, Knuckles sat back down as she spoke. "Let them take care of it, Red."

Knuckles appeared reluctant but gave in. "Alright," he said, simply.

Nicole leaned forward, "How about we talk about what might happen tonight?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Um, ok, I guess."

Nicole stuck a leg out ran her hand over it, giving him a rather nice view her long appendage. His slight fascination was interrupted by something prodding his inner thigh. Jumping, he pushed his chair back a few centimeters and stared at Nicole with a slightly disturbed expression.

"What?" she asked.

"Were you playing footsie with me?"

A confused look fell over Nicole's face. "No. Why?"

"Then what poked me?" Taking a look under the table cloth, he spotted Tails sitting sheepishly under the table. "Tails? What the **hell** are you doing down there?" He demanded, both immensely disturbed and uncomfortable. Nicole's head appeared on the other side and her eyes widened when she saw the little fox hiding under there.

"I'm, uh, um, supposed to be the table?" he offered uncertainly.

"No, you're not. Get out of there, ya little creep."

Hanging his head in shame, the fox crawled out and stood on the outside of the table to resume his ashamed walk.

Nicole herself was more than a little unnerved by the unexpected guest. "Good thing I wore panties tonight," she said.

Knuckles gave her a look.

"What? Usually I do, just tonight I thought I mi-"

"No, it's not that," Knuckles cut her off. "If he'd poked you, I'd understand. I'd still beat his ass, but I'd understand. But he poked me."

Nicole's expression was slightly disgusted. "You? That is extremely weird."

"No kidding."

Their discussion was interrupted by Amy's reappearance by their table. "Wine for the lovely couple?" she asked, and Knuckles noticed with some satisfaction that she had dropped her phoney accent.

"Yes, please!" he said, perhaps a bit too agreeably.

Placing the two glasses on the table, Amy began to fill the glasses, first Nicole's and then Knuckles's. While filling Knuckles's, Amy became distracted by Sally calling her name from the kitchen followed by "get in here!" Accidentally spilling nearly a cupful of the maroon liquid on the echidna's crotch (of all places), Knuckles yelped and bumped the table, knocking over Nicole's and splashing her with the alcohol. Turning her attention back to Knuckles, she narrowed her eyes and snapped rather uncharacteristically at him. "Oh, shut up! With any luck they'll be coming off soon anyways. Here." Placing the bottle on the table, Amy stormed back into the kitchen.

Knuckles shot an incredulous look at the hedgehog and back down at his soaking wet lap. "Does she have any idea how expensive this suit is?"

"That was your uncle's was it not?" asked Nicole.

"Yeah, but imagine if I had rented it?"  
* * *

"What?" snapped Amy upon entering the kitchen once more, her patience long since burned out.

"The food's ready," said Sally, indicating two plates of spaghetti. One appeared normal, the other... well, it was edible.

"Fantastic," remarked Amy sarcastically.

"Hurry up and take it out to them before it gets cold."

Grumbling, Amy lifted the plates and took them back out the dining room and sat them before Nicole and Knuckles. "_Bon appétit_," she said sourly before heading back to the kitchen to sit down.

Knuckles glanced at his plate which was charred and still smoking in some places. "Uh," he drawled, not entirely wanting to dig into the substandard dish. He glanced back at the direction Amy had went, and after thinking it through, shrugged and scooped up a small portion of the crispy pasta. Taking a crunchy bite, he determined it tasted about as good as it looked. Noting his displeasure, Nicole thoughtfully offered part of her food. "Have some of mine, it is not quite as... well-done."

Knuckles hesitated then his stomach grumbled and he indicated his agreement with a smile. Sharing the plate, and sipping from their refilled wine cups, the two just ate and drank in silence. For the first time tonight, with no one bothering them, the could just enjoy each other's company and take in the setting. While Knuckles took an interest in a spot on the wall, Nicole happened to glance at the kitchen doorway and saw the heads of Amy, Sally, and Vanilla watching them. When eye contact was made, instead of ducking back into hiding, Amy and Sally both made repeated gestures for her to kiss him. She stared for a minute unsure whether to act on her friends' advice or just let Knuckles control the flow of the date. Knuckles glanced back at Nicole and noticed her staring somewhere behind him. Turning in his chair once more, he glanced back and saw Sally and Vanilla disappear behind the corner, while the slower Amy just waved at him until Sally's hand pulled her back in.

"They watching us?" he asked.

Nicole was startled out of her contemplation. "Er, it would appear so."

"Well, I guess they deserve that, after all they did set this up."

Knuckles was still working on a single string of spaghetti and his attention was still on just behind him. Locating the string he was consuming, Nicole speared it and began to chew on the other end, hoping to meet Knuckles at the middle. Unfortunately, he just happened to turn his head and inadvertedly broke the string. He **did** notice Nicole leaning forward and holding the short piece of the spaghetti strand in her mouth. Initally he was going to dismiss it until he thought he understood what Nicole had been about to do. "Oh, you want to put on a show for them, eh?"

Nicole swallowed the last bit and gave him a nervous look.

"I say, why not?" Rising from his chair slightly, Knuckles once again placed his lips over hers and kissed her softly. When he began to pull away, Nicole immediately placed her hands on the back of his head and pressed him back onto her. While Knuckles was considerably stronger than the hologram, he didn't put up much of a fight.  
* * *

From the kitchen, the girls watched on both content and, to some extent, enviously. "Job well-done, girls. I think we can call Operation: Get Knuckles Laid a success," said Sally.

"You really need to come up with better names," said Amy.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try, Pinkie," shot back Sally.

"She's pretty lucky isn't she?" commented Vanilla.

"She sure is," said Amy. "Wait. What do you mean?"

"Don't ask," responded Sally.

"Easy for you to say," said Vanilla. "You already slept with him."

"Really? You're going to bring that up now?"

Amy sighed. She really needed new friends.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Not much to say about this one. Except that, once again, my procrastination has gotten the better of me and it took a while to update. Anyways, thanks for reading and review if you liked this chapter... or review if you didn't. IDC, just say anything. Thanks, TheEpicTales.

**Author's Note II:** Alright, I went back and corrected all the spelling and grammatical errors I missed in my initial read-through, especially because this is probably the best chapter I've written in a long time. I am also pleased that many of you found this chapter rather humorous, considering up to this point it's been pretty much hit-and-miss. For the next chapter, I'd like to keep this light-heartedness and humor going as opposed to the very serious (well, kinda serious) tone I've been tackling this with since the very first chapter. Anyways, I'd like to take a moment to reply to a few reviews while I'm here. First off, thank you to _Rocksmith_ and _crazyty237_, for reviewing, I know both of you have been following this story for a while now and it's nice to see you both sharing your thoughts. Next, to _YourNigthmare_, again, I always appreciate your reviews and I will address some of your thoughts here.

"Knuckles is ladies man now?" My response to this is, I think Knuckles has always been a bit of a ladies' man, he just never realized it. In my interpretation of his character, the idea that he is both handsome and attractive (not to mention sexy) has never occured to him simply because he has never received a compliment like this before. Remember, he was isolated on Angel Island for a long time (nearly a decade) and prior to that, lived with his dad. He has never had much experience in dealing with the opposite gender, which puts him at a disadvantage. Since women (at least, in my experience), very rarely speak what's on their mind, he has a hard time telling when a woman is interested in him unless they're very direct (such as Sally or Nicole). That said, he still has insticts and a normal sex drive for a teenaged male, hence why he snuck a few peeks at Vanilla. She's what's known as a MILF. "Even Vanilla wants some!" It has been awhile... "Holy hell HE is the BOSS!" Yes, yes he is. "My favourite part was Amy as a waiter" Thanks, I was going to have Sal do it, but I thought Amy would be better for the role. "they should start a restaurant "Only Spagethi" should be their name." What about ravioli? That's some good stuff. I'm not even sure what Carbonara is either, come to think of it. "Not gonna lie, didn't like all the "Maybe pregnant Sally" " I thought we already discussed this? No matter, it was poorly thought out, but it might... NO! No spoilers! "but you are coming back to the comical stuff..." When did I ever post something comical? I must be immune to my own sense of humor. At least some one thinks I'm funny... *to self: _I don't think I was trying to be funny before...* _"the good ol' "Two people dating without knowing how dating goes" " Yes, I canm presumably pull it off because I myself don't know how to date others properly. I've gone on, what? Three dates? "Keep up the good work!" I will, thank you. "Ciao!" To you as well.

Thirdly, to _SargeTheMan_, _Random Guest_, and (Generic) _Guest_ thank you all for your reviews as well.

And finally to _Sonicfan91_, of course it's rather Out-of-Character, but it's also a crack couple, so did you really expect anything different? I will try and keep the new tone of the story as long as I can, but I do have a habit of screwing things up. Just ask my parents. Anyways, thanks for your review as well, and to all: see you in the next chapter (coming soon... probably)!


	9. Chapter 9: It's So Small

**Author's Note/Warning!:** The following chapter contains graphic content of a sexual nature. If you are underage or don't want to read lemon, stop now and find another story. If you're okay with that, read on.

* * *

**Chapter 9: It's So Small:**

It was nearly midnight by the time Knuckles and Nicole departed the dining room and left a badly scribbled thank-you note on the table. Even with all the things that had gone wrong that night, both the echidna and the lynx were in much better mood. Between the two of them, they had consumed well over three-quarters of the off-brand wine and made small talk. Compared to their rather steamy kiss, the rest was rather dull for the three females that had arranged the dinner and, one-by-one, they had all nodded off in the kitchen. Now shambling drunkenly down the halls towards Knuckles's quarters, the pair sang what could be described as broken, incoherent lyrics of some folk tune, ocassionally giggling when they crashed into something or stumbled. Knuckles himself by this point was to buzzed to ponder why the alcohol would effecting Nicole, but even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to fathom a logical reason.

Finally reaching his door, number 13, Knuckles stopped and tried fishing in his pockets for keys before realizing he didn't have a lock on his door. Turning the knob and pushing the wooden barrier open, he and Nicole tromped inside and Knuckles immediately crashed down on his simple cot. Nicole, on the other hand, stood unsteadily in the center of the room and gave Knuckles a look she intended as sultry, yet came out more as just plain hammered. Slipping one strap off her shoulder, she stared at Knuckles as the echidna grinned goofishly and spread his legs a little wider (presumably to let his member have some room to grow).

Giving the spiny anteater another seductive smile, she gave a half-spin and worked the other strap loose, exposing her back. Knuckles clapped appreciatively and rubbed his hands together eagerly. Pulling off his gloves and kicking off his shoes, the echidna began to unbutton his vest.

For whatever reason, perhaps imitating intoxication, or simply actually losing her inhibitions **and **balance, Nicole gave another half-spin and toppled over into the wall on the left side of the room. Unable to stifle his drunk amusement, Knuckles burst into deep laugh and ended up falling off his own bed, next to the lynx.

The loud thuds and uproarious laughter disturbed Knuckles's next door neighbor, Rotor. Grumbling, the walrus slammed his laptop shut and stood up, letting his blanket fall to the floor. Pounding on Knuckles's wall, the walrus bellowed, "Keep it down! Some of us are trying to... well, it's not important, just keep it down!"

Back in Knuckles's room, the echidna scowled. "Who- who does he think he is?" asked Knuckles, with some hiccups in between. "I- I'm Knuckles! An' I'll-... I'll fuck him up," he said, unsteadily getting to his feet.

"No, Knuckles, just let him be. Come back to the floor with me," pleaded Nicole, giving him her best imitation of puppy dog eyes.

"Jus' a minute, Nicki, I gotta teach this punk a lesson," he slurred. "Hey!" he shouted, pounding his fist on the wall, "I'll make all the noise I want, an' there's nothin' you can do about it." Knuckles pounded the wall again and the drywall gave in. A hole appeared where Knuckles's fist struck it and exposed Rotor's flaccid tool.

Knuckles blinked and stared at the limp thing for a moment then burst into laughter. Nicole too got a peek at the small lump and fell into hysterical sniggering. "It- It's so small!" she wheezed.

Rotor's face appeared in the hole, his face red with anger and embarassment. "Sh-Shut up! It's cold!"

"Sure it is," replied Knuckles sarcastically.

Rotor growled. "Fine! Laugh it up! I'll sleep in the lab." Grumbling, the walrus yanked on a pair of jeans and slammed his door shut.

At length, Knuckles and Nicole ceased their tittering and gazed at one another.

"I love you, Knuckles."

Nicole's words came out so swiftly and naturally, it almost seemed as if they had appeared on their own accord. Gasping with both surprise and shock at herself, Nicole sat up and put a hand to her mouth.

"I am so sorry, Knuckles, I do not know where that came from," she apologized.

Sitting up as well, Knuckles stared at Nicole with such intensity that Nicole was sure he could peer into her soul, if she had one.

"Don't be," he said. "I think... I think I feel the same way, about you."

Nicole blinked. "You- You think so?"

Knuckles nodded solemnly. "It took me awhile, but I think I'm finally learning to accept my feelings for you. I'm still not sure if an AI can truly love, but I am sure that what I feel for you is real."

"Oh, Knuckles," she began, before something about his words occured to her. "Wait. You think I cannot feel love?"

Knuckles's eyes widened when he realized he had made a mistake. "Er, I- I- I... um, that's to say, uh..."

Nicole looked away from the echidna for a moment, her feelings rather hurt. In the breadth of two seconds, Nicole had decided that Knuckles did have reason to think that way. To the best of his knowledge, she was a machine and nothing more. While he appeared to think less about what she really was and more on what she appeared to be, she admitted there would always be a certain level of uncertainity about whether machines can "feel" or not. Tensing when she felt Knuckles's hand on her shoulder, she stubbornly refused to glance at him.

"I'm sorry, Nicki, I didn't mean to say that. I just... will you forgive me?"

Nicole sighed. Turning her head slightly, she smiled at him impishly. "I cannot stay mad at you, Knuckles."

Knuckles gave a sigh of relief.

"In fact, I forgive you so much, I want to finish what we started, right now."

"Right now?" asked Knuckles.

"Yes," she said, pushing the echidna over and crawling on top of him.

Looking briefly at the wall as Nicole nibbled one of his dreadlocks, a thought occured to him. "Hey, what if Rotor comes back? I wouldn't be comfortable putting on a show for him... or anyone for that matter."

Nicole paused and regarded the sizable hole from her position on top of Knuckles. "Hm, Rotor said he would be gone for the night, but you do have a point."

"Oh, darn," said Knuckles, trying to sound disappointed (unconvincingly), "looks like we'll just have to wait."

"No way," she said, grabbing Knuckles firmly by the jacket of his tux, "I have waited long enough."

"Alright, Jeez, calm down."

After another moment's thought, Nicole remembered the location Knuckles had taken her to on their first date. "Knuckles, do you remember where we had our first date?"

"Yeah," said Knuckles, not sure what she was getting at.

"We will make love there," she told him, rather excitedly.

Knuckles glanced out the window. "In the dark? I'm not sure I can find it right now."

"Do your best."

Knuckles glanced back at Nicole, a quick peek at her eyes and Knuckles was certain she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Huh, that made two women. Well, one and half maybe.  
*

Nearly an hour later, Knuckles found the spot and motioned to Nicole. "I think this is it," he said. Turning to her, he decided to make one last effort to put off the inevitable. "You know, I don't have any plans for-"

"No," she cut him off. "I have already subjected myself to two full dates and a day in between. According to my research, some women give out after the first."

"Some, but not all," Knuckles countered.

"Two will suffice."

Knuckles sighed. "Alright, well, if this is really what you want, then-"

Knuckles cut off when Nicole eagerly fell to her knees and unzipped his fly, letting his member fall out. Immediately putting her mouth around it, Knuckles was caught offguard by how willingly and aggressively she had performed the act. Using her hand and throat muscles to pump and massage his manhood, Nicole looked upwards at Knuckles and was pleased to see a goofy grin begin to cross his face. "Mm, I can tell you are enjoying yourself," she said, allowing her lips to pull away from his beef frank long enough to speak.

"You're damn right I am," replied Knuckles, airily. "Gods, this is great."

Nicole didn't comment, instead giving preference to her oral exercise on Knuckles. Utilizing her tongue, Nicole poked, prodded, and stroked his sausage with quick, playful licks. Unable to control himself, Knuckles felt his legs begin to give out and leaned against a tree for support.

Nicole kept at this, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction from every small movement or sound Knuckles made. Lowering a hand down to her snatch, Nicole slipped her hand under her tanga-style knickers and began to finger herself. At length, Nicole deemed that she was wet enough and that her partner was ready. Removing herself from his extremities, she stood and removed her hand from her fleshy pocket. Knuckles gave the lynx a questioning look and she gestured for him to lie down.

Obeying immediately, Knuckles sat down on the soft grass and removed his shirt and jacket. Kicking off his shoes and pulling his trousers off, Knuckles laid upon the ground, completely exposed. Nicole smiled and straddled his waist as she lifted and removed her dress, revealing her breasts and panties to the echidna. . Knuckles noticed that the white garment was already damp and warm against his member. Shuddering in anticpation, Knuckles looked up as Nicole leaned over on top of him and kissed him passionately. Knuckles placed his hands on her back and rubbed it as they exchanged their fluids.

Breaking off, Nicole teased Knuckles's cock by rubbing the exterior of her undergarment against it. "C'mon, stop teasing already," grumbled Knuckles.

Nicole giggled softly. "And here I thought you were not eager to mate with me."

Knuckles decided not to reply and merely frowned.

"Oh, Red, do not fret, tonight will be special... for both of us."

With a mere thought, Nicole's last remaining article of clothing disappeared with a vibrant green flash and finally exposed her genitals to Knuckles. The echidna's face got red when he saw her pussy lips parting slightly around his throbbing shaft. However, Nicole could see the lust in his eyes and felt it when his member twitched against her. "I would not want to keep your boy waiting, would I?" asked Nicole rhetorically.

Rising up slightly, Nicole positioned herself over Knuckles and carefully lowered herself onto his stick. Nicole gasped and bit her lip as she took in his length inch-by-inch and adjusted to his girth. Knuckles groaned softly as he felt her inner walls stretch and hug his member. After less than a moment, Nicole had reached the base and held still for a moment, allowing herself some reprieve. Giving Knuckles's tool an experimental squeeze, Nicole released and slowly began to pull herself back up and down once agian just before she reached the head. In this way, she began a rocking motion and built up the pace and momentum of her lifts and drops.

The two lovers continued this practice, with Knuckles occasionally adding in some pelvic thrusts of his own. Marvelling at how realistic her body felt around his, Knuckles relished the euphoria that came from the act. Neither of them noticed how much had passed, nor did they care. However, after what must have been ten minutes, Knuckles felt his climax coming and he knew it. "Nic-, Nicki, I'm gonna..!" he stuttered.

"Just a few more seconds!" she replied, "I myself am close to the female orgasm!"

Snapping out his daze temporarily, Knuckles gave Nicole a disbelieving stare. "That's actually a thing?" he asked. "I thought it was just a myth."

Nicole shot the echidna a small glare. "Of course, it is real! Now shut up, you are ruining the mood."

Both fell silent (with the exception of soft moans and gasps) as each focused on reaching their respective climaxes. Nicole reached hers first and cried out as her walls clamped around Knuckles's member and spurted juices around the sides. With the sensation of her heated depths tightening around his cock, Knuckles couldn't hold it any longer and allowed himself to shoot his seed deep inside her womb. Spent and exhausted, but highly satisfied, the two collapsed upon the ground with Nicole resting her head on Knuckles's chest.

Fondly running a finger across the echidna's muscular chest and abs, Nicole let out a happy sigh. "Thank you, Knuckles. I believe I am beginning to understand what you Mobians call 'making love'."

Knuckles grinned and chuckled softly. "You know... I wouldn't object to second round, and maybe a third."

Nicole's ears perked up and she propped her body up so she could get a better look at the echidna. "Truly?"

Knuckles nodded. "Absolutely. It was... surprisingly realistic. I couldn't tell the difference between you or Sal."

Suddenly Nicole's eyes narrowed, with mock seriousness. "Oh really? Can you really not tell the difference? Or do you simply not care? Which is it?"

Realizing he had screwed up, Knuckles swallowed and quickly stammered a hasty plea. "Er, n-no, that's not I meant. It's just, th-that your h-hologram actually feels-"

Nicole cut the echidna off with a kiss. "I was merely joking, Knuckles. I know you meant no disrespect. Now, would you like to 'go the extra mile'?"

Knuckles smiled. "Of course," he replied as he positioned himself once more over the lynx, this time in doggy-style. "But," he said, with a pause for emphasis, "do you know anything about anal?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, here's the lemon part. Kinda lackluster don't ya think? Oh well. Anyways, this is the second to last chapter, but don't despair for I will write three alternate endings for you guys, the readers, to pick from. The first, is about a week after this chapter. The second is set two weeks after the events of this chapter. And the third is one year later. Each has a distinct ending, but aside from that, I won't spill any secrets. The endings (all three will be up shortly) until then, read &amp; review. TheEpicTales2, signing out.


	10. Ending 1: The Invitation

**Ending 1: The Invitation:**

It had been one week since Knuckles and Nicole had porked all night, as Sonic so vulgarly put it. But since the incident in the dining room that morning and their ensuing improvised date, Knuckles and Nicole had agreed to stop seeing each other and the talk quickly settled at Freedom HQ. Sally and Amy naturally wondered what had happened and all their probing revealed little. Knuckles didn't seem inclined to talk about it, but carried himself with a new air of pride and confidence. And Nicole would answer their inquiries with an ambigious reply and a cryptic smile. However, they did notice Nicole hanging around Sonic rather often and they didn't like it much, but for the most part let it go. Three days after the event, Knuckles left for Angel Island briefly on "private business", but returned on the seventh day. Today was the seventh day.

Stepping outside the portal created by his Warp Ring, Knuckles let out a content sigh. Turning his gaze westward, he squinted up at the slowly sinking sun as it turned the sky a vibrant orange and rich, yellow gold. He stood there for a moment then turning away, and entered the underground building built into the side of a large hill. Scanning the Commons, he was mildly surprised to find no one moving about in the large room. Listening closely, he couldn't hear any distinct noises. Briefly wondering if the others had left somewhere without telling him, Knuckles entered the dining room and found it just as deserted. He was about to leave, when he noticed a small piece of paper sitting on the tabletop nearest to the doorway. Beside it was a small box tied with ribbon. Picking up the letter, he skimmed over it.

The handwriting was gentle, flowing, and very lady-like. It almost looked like Sally's, but was slightly different. In many places, the y's and d's were overly extended. It read:

"_Dear, Knuckles,_

"_Sonic and your friends have left, acting on some information they received and are expected to be back next month. They went to a kingdom in the east and have requested that you remain here until you are needed. Sally's orders._

"_That leaves you and myself to hold down the fort for a month... I wonder what we will do with all that time?_

"_Sincerely, Vanilla._

"_P.S. Open the box._"

Knuckles frowned. Well, that explained where Sally and the others were, but what was that other part about? Did Cream go with them? And what did Mrs. V mean by 'do with all that time'? Placing the letter back on the table, Knuckles picked up the small box next. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. Gently pulling on the ribbon, the tie came apart easily and fell to the ground. Knuckles pried the lid off and looked inside. A piece of black, velvety fabric covered whatever was underneath and Knuckles pulled it out. Once it dangled in front of him, he recognized it as a blindfold. '_What_ _the?_' thought Knuckles, a look of utter bafflement crossing his face. Setting the fabric aside, Knuckles looked at what else was in the box. A pair of steel handcuffs and... a ball gag? At just that instant, Knuckles got a notion of what Vanilla was hinting at. Blushing furiously, Knuckles crammed the items back in the box and hastily tossed it back on the table.

Taking a seat, Knuckles ran his hands through his dreadlocks, trying to steady his heartbeat. Was Vanilla really suggesting what he thought she was? The echidna immediately felt dumb just thinking about it. Of course she was. That much was pretty obvious. Moving on, Knuckles pondered why. He knew she was several years his senior, not quite thirty, but around there. '_Twenty-eight?_' he guessed, '_No, twenty-seven, that's right. She had Cream when she was nineteen and Cream's almost eight so... yeah. Twenty-seven._' Moving on, Knuckles recalled that Vanilla had married "Mr. Rabbit", but he apparently died during the Great War, before Cream was born. And as far as Knuckles knew, Vanilla had remained single throughout the years between The Great War with the Overlanders and the current war the Freedom Fighters were fighting with Robotnik. And since Robotnik's coupe, the rabbit had resided with the Freedom Fighters at HQ, so she's been single for at least five years, possibly longer. He reasoned she probably was horny and with all the teenage male and female hormones raging around her, it probably couldn't be easy on the mature female. That, and Knuckles had made it pretty clear that he **was** sexually active, so this was more than just an act of oppurtunity.

Soon Knuckles understood why Vanilla would make such a risqué proposal. Smiling slightly despite his surprise, he drew similarities to how he had another proposal made to him just last week and how that had ended. Turning his mind to another matter, he debated whether he should accept and take the ole' gal for a spin or try and sneak out. Chances were she knew he was expected to return, so leaving was probably out of the question; besides, he had to admit that Vanilla was rather sexy. In fact, he and Sonic sometimes referred to her as a "MILF", naturally making sure the girls didn't hear it. And his mind jumped back to the image of Vanilla in that skirt on the night of his and Nicole's date. That outfit and the way it tugged her gentle, yet enticing curves. Her breasts, which he readily acknowledged were considerably larger than Nicole's or even Rouge's, and the bat was already chesty. And finally, the jiggle of her butt as she stepped. Knuckles subconciously gripped the table with both hands as he pictured the image in his head. His member stirred and began to peek out from its sheathe before Knuckles snapped out his reverie and forcefully switched his train of thought.

Glancing back down at the paper, Knuckles stared at it for a moment then flipped the paper over and looked at the back. As he suspected, there was something written on the back:

"_I'll be in my room._"

Two seconds later, the paper slowly drifted to the floor as a pair of footsteps sprinted down the hallway. When the page landed, the attached Polaroid depicted Vanilla in a tantalizing "Nudie".

* * *

**Author's Note:** This is the first ending for The Mobian Experience. It **is** rather short, compared to the majority of the fanfic and is mostly lime, but ties in with Vanilla's lust for the young echidna in Chapter 8: Wine &amp; Dine. If enough readers ask, I can and will extend this further, but for the time being, this is **Ending 1: The Invitation**.


	11. Ending 2: Teen Mom

**Ending 2: Teen Mom:**

"C'mon."

Sally sat in one of the stalls of the bathroom as she awaited the results of her latest pregnacy test. Ever since that idiot Knuckles had came in her, Sally's expected period from last week... never came. That was terrifying in on itself. But recently, she's found herself dizzy at times, and feeling queasy at different times of the day, with no indication of where they're coming from. And most recently, she had examined her nipples earlier today and was convinced that they had swollen and well as become tender to the touch.

'_Please, please, let it say negative,_' she pleaded silently. When she gathered the courage to look down, her small hopes were shattered. Positive. She stared at two pink, parallel lines, knowing with grim certainity what it meant, yet unwilling to believe it. She was pregnant. In a sudden rage, the chipmunk hurled the small stick at the wall, smashing it, and let out a frustrated scream.

The noise startled Amy, who just happened to be passing by outside in the hallway. Cautiously entering, Amy spoke. "Hello?"

The question hung in the air with no reply for a moment and the hedgehog was about to leave when she heard some muffled sobs and sniffling coming from one of the stalls. "Sally, is that you?" asked Amy, stepping over to the door. "You alright?"

There was a moment of silence before the chipmunk gave her reply through the door. "Uh, yeah. I'll- I'll be out soon," she said, her voice sounding rather hoarse.

Unconvinced, but unable to do much of anything else, Amy said "ok" and left. Inside the stall once more, Sally buried her face in her hands and wiped away the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She would have to tell them eventually, but somehow she didn't think she bring herself to do so. All it took was one mistake... Shoving her fears and sorrows aside, Sally put on her brave face and stood up. She would tell Knuckles... eventually.

Another week passed and the other Freedom Fighters began to notice something off with Sally. Knuckles was gone for most of the week, off on Angel Island, checking on the Master Emerald and a few other things. But all the while, each began to notice sudden, sometimes subtle changes in Sally. Amy noticed that Sally seemed to eat more at meals, but was very careful not to point it out. Bunnie would wake to the sound of someone retching in the bathrooms and see Sally sneaking out of them each morning. Sally also snapped at Tails on one occasion for leaving his tools around. But later that same evening, the chipmunk had held the uncomfortable fox for an hour, sobbing and repeating how much she loved him. And finally, Sonic was the first to point out that she was gaining some weight. When he accidently asked her about it, he got a kick to the groin and slap in the face.

Vanilla was the first to understand what exactly Sally was going through and pitied her. However she knew that Knuckles would have to know. Without Sally's knowledge, Vanilla called Knuckles's communicator and after a few moments, Knuckles answered. "Hello? This is Knuckles, whaddaya want?"

"Knuckles, it's me... Vanilla."

There was a sudden sound of something rustling in the background before Knuckles spoke once again. "Oh, hey, what's up?"

"It's Sally."

The line went silent for a minute. "Is she alright?" asked Knuckles. His tone carried a strong sense of concern for his friend.

"I believe she's... pregnant."

Another full minute of silence.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, no. But I've seen a few signs since you've left... Knuckles... I think you're the father."

Knuckles's reply was immediate. "Of course I am!" he snapped angrily.

Vanilla remained silent.

On the other end, Knuckles let out a sigh and began to apologize. "I-I'm sorry, Mrs. V. I'll be there soon."

"Thank you."

_Click!_ Putting her communicator aside, Vanilla let out a pensive breath and sat down at the dining room table. 'Oh, Knuckles. What have you gotten yourselves into?'

Back on Angel Island, Knuckles grumbled for a moment and hurled the communication device against the wall. His guest, lying in his bed, drew the covers protectively over herself. "Knuckles?" she asked.

Turning towards the orange echidna, Knuckles's expression softened for a moment. "I'm sorry, Tikal. I have to go."

"But we didn't even-"

"I know!"

Tikal winced and Knuckles felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I'll be back soon... hopefully." Taking a few steps forward. Knuckles grabbed his Warp Ring of his bedstand and activated it. Stepping through the portal, a flash temporarily dazed Tikal and by the time she recovered, Knuckles was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The second ending for The Mobian Experience. In this one, Sally **does** concieve and now Knuckles will likely have to marry her. This ending ties in with the pregnancy scare from Chapter 5 to Chapter 7. Again, rather short, but I am willing to extend it, if I receive a request to do so. Signing out for now, TheEpicTales.

P.S. Yes, Knuckles was sleeping with Tikal the Echidna. Why? Because Knuckles has very little reservations now and Tikal is another female that doesn't really exist in the normal sense, much like Nicole. It's still true that Tikal may be Knuckles's ancestor, but they don't really seem to care do they?


	12. Ending 3: Why Not?

**Ending 3: Why Not?**

_One year later..._

A full year had passed since Knuckles's and Nicole's affair and many things had changed over the course of that period. Robotnik had been defeated, Sally had taken over ruling the kingdom, and Sonic had disappeared to horizon with Tails. No one is quite sure where they went and no one has heard from them since. Many of the former Freedom Fighters were under the assumption that Tails and Sonic had left to settle down somewhere in privacy. Ever since that incident where Amy had accidently walked in on Sonic and Tails in that awkward position, things were not quite the same at Freedom HQ. But as far as Knuckles was concerned, to each his own and he certainly didn't mind his current lifestyle. Most would have called it a harem, but he liked to think of it as.. a love conglomerate. He didn't desuade the rumors but smiled quietly to himslef when he heard normal Mobians point and whisper amongst themselves about "He's that guy with all those women all over him." "Damn, he's so awesome." "Dude, he's living the dream." "No shit."

For the most part, Knuckles resided on Angel Island, guarding the Master Emerald just like before, but now he found himself guarding the artifact less and more just enjoying himself. At times Sally would have herself flown over when the stress of running a kingdom herself got to unbearable or whenever she had an itch he needed to scratch. He also had a few of his lovers living on the island with him including Amy, Fiona, Erma, Barby, Vanilla, and a few others. Rouge herself would even drop by once in a while to visit him and check on their only child, Ruby. Ah yes, life was good for the echidna. Best of all, Nicole was now also a permenant resident on the island. While still limited by her hardware, Nicole nevertheless served Knuckles well as a security system, secretary, and companion, among other things.

Sighing contently as he entered his abode, Knuckles nonchalantly grazed over the three women sleeping in his bed and across his home. The cabin had to be remodeled to give his lovers and future offspring rooms of their own, as well as extra space to store his stuff. One wall was devoted to shelves of his awards and memorabilia from his days as a Freedom Fighter. One was Man of the Year, another was symbolic Key to the City of Mobotropolis in the shape of an impractically large gold key, and his favorite was "Most Eligible Bachleor" awarded to him by a celebrity magazine.

Turning his gaze back to his furniture, Knuckles sat himself down on the couch and clicked a button on Nicole's recently upgraded software. The screen flickered and buzzed as Nicole awoke from her sleep mode. After a few seconds, Nicole herself appeared, yawning and rubbing her left eye groggily. "Morning, Nicki," greeted Knuckles as he eyed her appreciatively.

"To you as well, Knuckles," replied Nicole as she seated herself next to the echidna. "Do you wish to view your e-mails?"

"Nah, those can wait. I have something else in mind," said Knuckles, waving a dismissive hand.

Nicole thought for a moment. "Then do you wish for me to please you?"

"No, that's not it either. I just figured we could cuddle for a bit and talk."

"Talk?" echoed Nicole. Knuckles had never been much for words, and that had not changed much over the year, although he was much more confident with others, particularly females. Not that she, or any of his other "associates" cared.

"Yep, you remember how to do that, right?"

Nicole narrowed her eyes briefly. "Of course. What did you want to talk about?"

Knuckles smiled warmly. "You."

Nicole was silent for a moment. "Me? Ok, well then, um..." Nicole pondered what she could talk about. There was little the echidna didn't already know and she didn't bother him with a detailed layout of her data systems, so she was drawing a huge blank.

"How about we just start with your day."

Nicole blinked. "Oh. Very well then. Er, I did another disk cleaning this morning, I checked the reading on the Master Emerald and nothing was unusual there... well, Tikal and Chaos seem a bit frisky today." Knuckles chuckled softly at that. "And after that I did a survey on the locations of your friends, and they all seem to be fine. Sally is in her castle, although her stress levels are unusually high and I would expect a visit from her in the next few days. Rouge's device is off as usual. It seems that Amy and Bunnie are down at the waterfall on the north side of the island. Vanilla is off on the eastern side of the Emerald's altar with Cream. And as for the others, they are over there as you can see."

Knuckles nodded. "And how are you feeling?"

"Feeling?" Nicole repeated. She had forgotten that Knuckles no longer questioned her ability to feel emotions like most Mobians. Reaching into her inner program files, Nicole concluded that she was content. "I am doing well," she replied, "but I was sort of hoping we would have a little fun before Lien and Julie arrived."

"Is that so?" asked Knuckles with a sly grin. "Then I wouldn't want to disappoint you, would I?"

Nicole gave her own lustful grin. "That would not be advisable, no."

Bending her over to his body, Knuckles lied back and let the lynx work her magic on his tool. He didn't even notice the feeling, since he had gotten so well adjusted to it over the year, but nevertheless he relished in the blissful pleasure that came from it. It didn't take him long before he came inside her orifice and pushed her back onto the couch. Positioning himself over her, missionary-style, Knuckles slid his now very slick member into her honeypot. Nicole gasped and let her clothes vanish in a brilliant green flash. It only took another three minutes before Nicole reached her peak and Knuckles came as well seconds after that. Panting, Knuckles fell to her side and the lynx shifted to comfortably spoon with the echidna. "It does not matter how many times we do that, it is still as incredible as the first time," commented Nicole.

"And I hope it stays like that," replied Knuckles.

The two fell silent as they let their breathing slow and gave their bodies some rest. But after a few seconds of silence, Nicole spoke once again. "I think you should know that when I was monitoring Sally's vitals, I noticed something peculiar."

"What?"

"She is carrying twins. A preliminary scan indicates that you are the father. And I think Blaze is ready to conceive if you wish."

Knuckles sat up. "You mean Sal is gonna have my kid?"

"Kids. Plural. But yes."

"That's great news!"

Nicole remained silent, trying to hold back her feeling of longing. But Knuckles picked up on her expression regardless.

"Wait, what's wrong?"

Nicole sighed. "Nothing. It is stupid, so do not bother."

Knuckles gave an unsure smile. "You can't hide anything from me. Just 'fess up."

Taking a steadying breath, Nicole turned to face Knuckles. "It is just... I see how happy it makes you when the other girls bear children for you, but..."

"But what?"

"I cannot do the same for you."

Suddenly sharing in Nicole's forlorn state of being, Knuckles's expression softened. "Oh, I'm sorry, Nicole, but you don't have to do that. I understand and I still love you."

Nicole leapt up from the couch and paced slowly in front of Knuckles, causing the echidna to sit up fully and watch her. "But I want to and yet I cannot, because I am just a hologram and you are a Mobian. No matter how much I wish it were otherwise, it can never be."

Knuckles sighed. "Are you telling me that with all we've seen and have done that turning you into a solid Mobian would be impossible. It's not. There's always a way. But I don't care either way. I love you, Nicole, just the way you are. And to me, that is real."

Nicole glanced at Knuckles and despite her gloomy mood, the lynx broke a small smile. "Thank you, Knuckles, you always know how to cheer me up."

"That's what I'm here for. That, and guarding the Emerald of course."

Nicole reapproached Knuckles and settled herself on his lap. "And I thank my lucky stars everyday for that," she said, placing her arms around his broad shoulders. "Can you just hug me?"

"Of course, my love."

* * *

The scene fades and the following message is displayed:

**THANKS FOR READING!**

**Love, TheEpicTales**


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